Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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116. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 496 of 4 November 2025, the time period in which the circa 135,000 customers were potentially provided motor finance by car dealers using discretionary commission arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64034/25]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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117. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 496 of 4 November 2025, to provide the names of the eight firms engaged in providing discretionary commission arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64035/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together.

The Central Bank of Ireland has advised that, further to Parliamentary Question No. 496 of 4 November 2025, the figure of 135,000 refers to customers with active hire purchase agreements at the point in time the review was conducted in 2024.

In June 2024 the Central Bank wrote to all regulated firms providing hire purchase motor finance who may have used discretionary commission arrangements in relation to such finance arranged through credit intermediaries instructing them to cease the practice by end-July 2024.

The Central Bank has advised that it took this action following a review of this practice in the motor finance hire purchase via credit intermediaries. The Central Bank concluded that the incentive these arrangements created was not consistent with market outcomes that the Central Bank’s Consumer Protection Code seeks to achieve.

In relation to the request for the names of the eight firms identified in the Central Bank’s review as having used discretionary commission arrangements, the Central Bank has advised that it is not in a position to provide the names of the firms as this is information obtained through supervision and is subject to supervisory confidentiality obligations.