# Central Bank appoints  Consumer Advisory Group



## Brendan Burgess (2 Feb 2011)

The Central Bank of Ireland has today (Wednesday, 2 February 2011) announced the appointment of members to its Consumer Advisory Group. The role of the Consumer Advisory Group is to advise the Central Bank on its performance in relation to protecting consumers of financial services.

Director of Consumer Protection, Bernard Sheridan, welcomed the establishment of the Consumer Advisory Group and the appointment of its members. ‘Consumer protection is a priority for the Central Bank and the Consumer Advisory Group will play an important role in contributing to our knowledge and understanding of the issues that affect consumers’, he said.

Appointments to the Consumer Advisory Group are for a three-year period and members serve on a voluntary basis.

The members of the Consumer Advisory Group are:
*Michael Culloty*
Michael Culloty holds a senior position in the Money Advice & Budgetary Service (MABS) as National Social Policy and Communications Officer and is also the media spokesperson for MABS. He has wide experience and knowledge on consumer’s interactions with lenders.

*Dermott Jewell*
Dermott Jewell is CEO of the Consumers Association of Ireland. He is Chairperson of the Financial Services Ombudsman Council and Chairperson/Director of the Irish European Consumer Centre (ECC).
*
Elaine Kempson*
Elaine Kempson is currently an independent consultant based in the UK. She is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Bristol where she was formerly Director of Personal Finance Research Centre. She has almost 30 years of experience in research in consumer behaviour and has worked on a number of studies for regulatory and international bodies, including World Bank, OECD and the UK Financial Services Authority. She is also a non-executive director of the UK Financial Ombudsman Service.

*Bill Knight*
Bill Knight is currently an independent consultant based in Canada. He was formerly the Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. He established and is currently the Chair of the International Forum for Consumer Regulators. He also has extensive experience in the credit union sector in Canada.
*
Dr Anthony Walsh*
Dr Anthony Walsh is Chief Executive of the Institute of Bankers in Ireland. Previously he spent nearly 20 years at Dublin City University (DCU), where he was Professor of Accounting and Dean of the Business School. He is a member of the Qualified Financial Advisor Board and a Director of the Irish Universities’ Quality Board.


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## dereko1969 (2 Feb 2011)

For once seems like a decent mix of people with the right skills and experience.


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## Eithneangela (2 Feb 2011)

Another quango!  We already have a fully-staffed Consumer section in the Dept of Enterprise (!), Trade, Employment (or whatever it's called now), another group headed by Me. Jewell.  So, more jobs for the boyos (and cailini!).


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## Sunny (2 Feb 2011)

Eithneangela said:


> Another quango! We already have a fully-staffed Consumer section in the Dept of Enterprise (!), Trade, Employment (or whatever it's called now), another group headed by Me. Jewell. So, more jobs for the boyos (and cailini!).


 
Which bit of 'on a voluntary basis' is unclear before you start bashing them? It is a welcome addition.


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## Eithneangela (2 Feb 2011)

Which organisation is responsible for what, and to whom?  The full-time staff in the Dept of ETE presumable report into that Minister.  The new group report to the Central Bank.  Talk about fuzzy lines!


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## Sunny (2 Feb 2011)

Eithneangela said:


> Which organisation is responsible for what, and to whom? The full-time staff in the Dept of ETE presumable report into that Minister. The new group report to the Central Bank. Talk about fuzzy lines!


 
Why? It is a group set up report to the Central Bank on how the Central Bank is dealing with consumer issues in the area of financial services. It's an internal group. Why would it report to anyone but the Central Bank?


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