Written answers
Tuesday, 4 April 2017
Department of Finance
Credit Unions
John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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163. To ask the Minister for Finance if Regulation 35, as outlined in SI No. 1 of 2016 regarding the Credit Union Act 1997, applies to the accounts of charitable associations that use the credit union to avail of its favourable interest rates or if it applies only to individual savings accounts; if exemptions can be made for charitable organisations whose accounts exceed the limit of €100,000 as set out in Regulation 35; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16048/17]
Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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My role as Minister for Finance is to ensure that the legal framework for credit unions is appropriate for the effective operation and supervision of credit unions.
The Registrar of Credit Unions at the Central Bank is the independent regulator for credit unions. Within her independent regulatory discretion, the Registrar acts to support the prudential soundness of individual credit unions, to maintain sector stability and to protect the savings of credit union members.
The Credit Union Act 1997 (Regulatory Requirements) Regulations 2016 (the Regulations) came into effect on 1 January 2016 following commencement of the remaining sections of the Credit Unions and Co-operation with Overseas Regulators Act 2012 which provided regulation making powers to the Central Bank. Regulation 35 sets out an individual member savings limit of €100,000.
The Central Bank has informed me that where clubs and associations hold savings in a credit union, the savings limit applies in respect of the total savings of the club or association. The club or association is treated as a single member for the purposes of applying the individual members' savings limit.
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