Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, FSPO, was set up in 2018. The powers of this ombudsman are among the strongest in the world for any specialist ombudsman. We will consider the annual reports of 2018 and 2019, together with other interesting issues that have arisen in more recent times, including: the effectiveness of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman; the turnover cap of €3 million; tracker mortgages; Covid-19 related issues, including business interruption insurance; risks of consumers due to changes in the financial services market, banks leaving and new services providers entering; pensions reform; and the risks of bitcoin and similar crypto-assets, among other things. I propose that we publish the opening statement of Mr. Ger Deering, Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, on the committee's website. Is that agreed? Agreed.

On behalf of the committee, I extend a warm welcome to Mr. Ger Deering, Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman and Ms MaryRose McGovern, deputy Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman. I now invite Mr. Deering to make his opening statement.