Results 12,121-12,140 of 16,492 for speaker:Ciarán Lynch

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Before I move on to Deputy Peter Mathews, perhaps I can summarise where we are at because there are a couple of actions the committee needs to take. Will Mr. Trethowan provide the committee with copies of those application templates to which he referred?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: As we have the banks appearing before us on a regular basis it is good to have that information. The other issue which has become apparent is a situation whereby credit is available but is not being sought to the volume of credit that is out there in terms of the seven.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Is it Mr. Trethowan's observation that AIB is beginning to move decision making on loans down to a more localised level as in the past? Is that assisting SMEs in getting better access to credit or is it creating further difficulties?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The local bank manger who has a familiarity with the business as to how long it has been trading in the area and probably passes the application but it is up to the bank.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: One thing that struck me about the report is that there is a very significant difference between AIB and Bank of Ireland when it comes to the internal review process. It is leaping off the page when one's looks at it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Okay. I think 6% of internal reviews in Bank of Ireland are changed and 36% in AIB are changed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: That is huge in percentage terms. As the committee needs to make a recommendation on foot of Mr. Trethowan's next reply, are the cases that come to the Credit Review Office-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: AIB seem to have an internal mechanism that appears to work. The observation is that the Bank of Ireland's internal mechanism is either brilliant the first time out or else it is very bad the second time internally. What is Mr. Trethowan's observation of that in terms of the cases he receives? Is it predominantly Bank of Ireland cases that are seeking attention in his office?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: There is something that has arisen. Can we put a formal proposal? An issue that struck me when Mr. Trethowan was speaking was that when the banks completely turn a review process, there is not a direction that the Credit Review Office is available to them as a statutory mandatory practice. I propose that the committee write to the Minister for Finance, the Secretary General of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The Deputy is over time, having had almost 15 minutes. I call Deputy Simon Harris.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: No, I will allocate time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The Deputy will have to share his time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: If the Deputy wants to share time, now is the time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: That is fine but if the Deputy runs over time Senator Coghlan will not be included.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The Deputy can have that argument with Senator Coghlan afterwards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Is there a particular type of business that approaches the office?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: What I propose is that we engage in 12-minute sessions and then go around from there. In respect of the credit that businesses, including SMEs, are seeking, we hear much anecdotal information. Business owners contact Members of the House, and we might read material in the newspapers. What I hope to get this afternoon is some fixed information from Mr. Trethowan. The public would assume...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: In Mr. Trethowan's investigations, does a set pattern arise? Are particular banks causing difficulty when people come in, or is it banks in general against which they are making complaints?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Are the banks engaging in any measures to advertise that credit is available, and is the office also monitoring that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: According to the figures provided to us by Mr. Trethowan, he reviewed 496 cases relating to AIB, upholding the bank's decision in 316 cases and overturning the decision in 180 cases, which means that 36% of cases were overturned. Likewise, with Bank of Ireland, he reviewed 288 cases and upheld 271, meaning that 17 were overturned, which equates to 6%. That indicates that the bank's...