Results 22,301-22,320 of 26,081 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Can the witness provide us with that breakdown? With due respect to Mr. Sheridan, these are questions he should be able to answer today. They are routine questions which he should expect us to ask. I presume he does not have the answers to hand but I ask if they could be provided to the Chairman. I have a brief question for Mr. Fielding. Are legitimate loan applications from SME...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is there a difference in the attitude towards SMEs as between the three banks, AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: If I may finish with Mr. Sheridan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Central Bank and the Oireachtas have a responsibility to restore confidence in the banking system. The banks had free licence for the past 17 years to impose charges at will without reference to the Central Bank. This defies logic, in my view; it is inexplicable and shocking. I ask Mr. Sheridan to provide us with the information we have looked for so that we can probe this further. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: What legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was that before 1996?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was it section 149 that came into effect in 1996?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: There would have been a stampede of banks before the legislation came in. I would say they were lodging the charges in truckloads to the Central Bank. This defies logic. Legislation was brought in. I would say the boys got up on their coach and four and drove into the Central Bank's front yard and said "Lads, keep the trucks coming because we want to get all these notified charges in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: I apologise. I need a calculator. I do not want to lose my train of thought. My point remains valid. How in the name of God can banks bring in charges that they lobbed in before the legislation was introduced? Why were the brakes not put on at the time to prevent them from bringing in these charges? How many were notified before the legislation came into effect? How were they allowed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: What Department was it under at the time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was it the Director of Consumer Affairs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: I want to go back to 1996. Is Mr. Sheridan telling me that anything that was notified to the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs prior to the commencement of section 149 in 1996 can be activated now without approval from the Central Bank?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is absurd. It equates to negotiating a ceiling with a customer and telling him or her that in 17 years' time it can be increased to whatever rate the bank wants. No business person in the world would accept that. It is a blank cheque for the banks, not to put too fine a point on it. I am lost. I am trying to comprehend whether I am correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Then I am stunned and amazed. I am shocked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: No. I want to get to the core point, which is how many of these particular measures have been brought in since 1996. For instance, since 2008, what range of increases has come about based on items notified prior to the legislation's enactment in 1996?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: With all due respect, Mr. Sheridan should know, because that is his job. My point is that we can come in here and be very polite and nice but that achieves nothing for business people. What needs to be done now to ensure we can get control over these open-ended charges? How many of them have been there since 1996, and how many of these lucky-dip bank charges are still available to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was the change sought recently? What does the statement "sought the change" mean?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Why was this change not sought three or four years ago? How many of these measures made available in 1996 are still available for the banks to pull out of the lucky bag? How many were brought in over the past two or three years? I am not being personal, but these are valid questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: What does Mr. Sheridan mean by that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Bank Charges: Discussion with Central Bank and ISME (17 Apr 2013)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will Mr. Sheridan let us know how many of those are outstanding? The Chairman has got confirmation that they will come through. Is it correct that the banks sought 11 increases in 2013, four of which were fully implemented and five partially, with two exemptions? What does "exemptions" mean in layman's terms?