Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis

Nexus Phase

Mr. Richie Boucher:

Well my testimony is my job in Bank of Ireland. I can't speak for the banks as a whole. I recognise that I said it at the time when I came into the role. Taxpayers shouldn't have had to support Bank of Ireland, that taxpayer support that went to Bank of Ireland at that time. Notwithstanding, Deputy, as I should point out, that we also held Irish Government bonds, and when we got the NAMA money, we bought Irish Government bonds. We partially bought them as a hedge. So it was at least cash flow neutral to the State. But, Deputy, I am extremely conscious that at that time that the capitalisation was provided to Bank of Ireland, that that was taxpayers' money that could have been used for other things.