Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 51: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance when he proposes to bring forward measures to improve the protection mechanism for bank deposit holders here including an increase in the protection ceiling from the current level of €20,000 per person per bank or an increase in the protection ratio from 90%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15604/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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In the wake of dislocation in global financial markets from mid-2007 onwards, the Ecofin Council of 9 October 2007 requested the Commission and the EU Financial Services Committee (FSC) to consider possible enhancements of the EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme (DGS) and to report back to the Council by mid-2008. Since then, discussions on DGS have taken place in the FSC, the EU Economic and Finance Committee (EFC) and at Ecofin. These discussions are ongoing and acknowledge the crucial role that DGS can play in maintaining confidence in the banking system. They also recognise that DGS are but one of the elements of the financial safety net.

Ireland is participating in the EU review of DGS launched by EU Finance Ministers last October. On the basis of the outcome of the EU review, I will, of course, consider any specific changes required in the Irish DGS to ensure that savers in Ireland benefit from safeguards in line with EU best practice. I would remind the Deputy that, as I have mentioned in response to previous similar questions, the first and most robust line of defence for depositors must be a well-managed system of prudential regulation and supervision so as to try to minimise the risk that a DGS needs to be activated. Recent assessments by bodies such as the IMF have confirmed that the Irish regime for financial regulation complies with best international practice.

Finally, the Deputy may wish to note that consistent with EU requirements, the Irish Deposit Protection Scheme guarantees 90% of deposits up to a limit of €22,222, which means the maximum possible payout is €20,000. The Irish DGS is maintained by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland.