Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Minister for Finance the progress that has been made in establishing a banking culture board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49741/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As I have stated previously and to clarify for the Deputy, the Irish Banking Culture Board is a private initiative from the banking industry in Ireland aimed at rebuilding trust and confidence in the industry following the tracker mortgage scandal, and as such it is not within the remit of my Department nor the Central Bank as regulator.

It is intended that the Irish Banking Culture Board will be an independently led entity to ensure that the industry is focused on the best interests of the customer and leads to a sustainable banking industry that promotes the highest standards of behaviour and professionalism.

I have been informed by representatives of the five main lenders that over the next 12 months, the search for an independent Chairperson will be concluded, the wider Board will be appointed, and there will be an initial culture survey and a stakeholder consultation process.

The initiative does not seek to replace or diminish existing regulation and will be run out of a separate entity to the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) and the banks. The establishment costs and annual running costs will be funded by the retail banks themselves. The Board will not act as a lobbying or representative organisation. It will not act as a regulatory body nor duplicate the work of individual banks or the regulator.

Again I will reiterate that I welcome this initiative by the banks to regain the trust of customers, but it is no substitute for regulation. To that end, my officials have been working with the Central Bank on policies to be addressed in a forthcoming Central Bank (Amendment) Bill.