Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 February 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Banking Sector in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed)

4:00 pm

Mr. Larry Broderick:

Absolutely. Another issue is that there are customers who have to travel 35 or 40 miles up the road with cash to lodge. There are security risks. Some of these points are not taken on board. In the past, there might have been two branches in every location. I reckon most of the branches are still profitable and the reason they are being closed is that they are not returning enough in investment. We are in a different place now so they should be challenged. I share many of the views expressed. We have the same reservations. That is why a different formula, perhaps a voluntary code overseen by ourselves, might be useful in addressing some of these issues rather than dealing with them at the next announcement, as we will all do. We will all campaign and politicise the matter and we will have to deal with the outcome.