Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

With regard to individual complaints, last week we asked for the banks' attention to be drawn to the suggestion that triple damages should be paid. That was rejected and the Minister was supposed to be considering the position. I want to record my disappointment that when it is a case of Parliament versus the banks, the banks always seem to win. I regret that. This is a section stating the ombudsman's report is to include information about complaints and yet it is not to include what reforms, if any, are to take place. I am saddened that the Department and the Central Bank are again standing beside the banks and against customers. We are entitled to know how the banks react to our complaints.

I will not push the amendment, but I am extremely saddened by what is going on in this section. Everybody outside of this House has had it up to here with the banks, yet the Minister will not even make provision for the banks to account for how they responded to complaints made by customers. Therefore, the Bill is going to go through without any improvement from the Seanad. The Seanad has not been abolished yet and what we have to say should register sometimes, particularly when we are dealing with a sector that is probably the most deserving of reform, not just in this country but in the world. We see from the repeated rejection of amendments that this sector is getting away with what it is doing. That saddens me as a Member of the House and as a citizen. The wrong people are winning this debate.