Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We cannot stop a bank leaving if it decides to leave. The Central Bank cannot do so and the Government cannot do so, and the Deputy knows that. Looking at the supervisory measures that are in place, a central bank cannot stop a bank if it decides it is going to close a branch, and I think Deputy McNamara is aware of that.

Am I happy with the supervisory efforts of the Central Bank in recent years? Yes, I am. Proof of that is that, despite the many challenges we faced during the pandemic, this time around our banks were not part of the economic and financial difficulty we faced. In fact, they played a role in delivering solutions that were needed at a very difficult time, and I believe that the way in which our banks were regulated leading up to that point played a vital role in that.

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