Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

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

Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC

Mr. Ale? Bla?ek:

No, I do not think so and I go back to my previous answer; this a competitive market. The Deputy referred to the higher interest rates on mortgages. If you look at the average interest rate of 2.3% on a mortgage, it is favourable for the customers from a long-term perspective. It is slightly higher than some of the other countries which have a slightly lower cost of capital. That rightly reflects some of the historical mistakes the banks have made and that needs to be reflected in their capital requirements. As I have stated a number of times, this is and has been a competitive market and I am convinced it will be competitive going forward.