Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Finance the steps persons can take when they are of the view they should be entitled to redress and compensation through the Central Bank's tracker mortgage review but who cannot access the scheme because their bank has unilaterally decided they do not qualify; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36419/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Central Bank has advised me that its Framework for conducting the Examination of Tracker mortgage related issues sets out requirements for lenders in terms of the ongoing query/complaints handling mechanism that should be put in place for customers i.e.,

- the lender is to establish a dedicated unit to deal with any queries, complaints, and/or concerns that customers may have during the course of the Examination (excluding Appeals to the Appeals Panel);

- adequate resources are to be allocated to the unit to deal with such queries, complaints and concerns and must continue to be available for at least six months after the four phases of the Examination have been completed and until all complaints have been adjudicated on.

Where a customer is not satisfied with the outcome of his/her lender’s complaints process, he/she may refer the matter to the Financial Services Ombudsman who is the statutory competent authority to deal with individual customer complaints. 

In terms of the outcomes of the reviews being carried out by lenders, the assurance work by lenders’ appointed external independent parties, together with the assurance work undertaken by the Central Bank, is designed to challenge lenders in respect of the adequacy and robustness of their plans to ensure that their reviews are being carried out in line with the requirements of the Framework for conducting the Examination and that the outcomes of the Examination are comprehensive and accurate.