Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The question I had was not whether Ms McEvoy supports a cap but whether she supports, as the report outlined, a restriction on interest rates and charges which can be in the form of the total cost of credit. I want to get the director of consumer protection's view on to this. Is the consumer protection division of the Central Bank in favour of restrictions on interest rates and charges which, as Ms McEvoy has outlined, may be in the way of the cost of credit? It is all well and good the Central Bank ensuring moneylenders tell their customers upfront they are screwing them, but we want Ms McEvoy's views on whether perhaps they should not be screwing them in the first place and we need to impose restrictions. Is it the Central Bank's view that it does not mind what we legislate for and, indeed, we could go even higher than what is already in the market?