Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

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

Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland

Mr. Gabriel Makhlouf:

Those banks have not left the market yet. I agree that competition in the banking sector is important for consumers. What we are seeing, as I said in my opening statement, is that a change is emerging in the way services are being provided to consumers. We are yet to see how that change is going to play out but it would be wrong of me to say I am not concerned that two large institutions are leaving the market. However, new entrants are arriving, as I said. The banks that are already in the market are starting to address the changes they need to make to keep pace with the competition. The Department is conducting the review I mentioned which we hope will help all of us to understand what the future looks like.