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Senator Thomas Byrne:
Deputy Lucinda Creighton referred to the arrangement AIB-EBS had with the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation. Has Bank of Ireland considered a similar arrangement? Would Mr. Boucher see advantages from the bank's point of view in drawing up a similar formal arrangement with an advocacy group that could work at arm's length from the bank on behalf of customers? Obviously, it would have advantages from the customer's point of view.
Mr. Richie Boucher: In effect, a third party contractor is providing services for AIB. We use third party contractors in a range of our businesses. Given that AIB has €5.4 billion in defaulted loans, I can understand it needs help. It is getting help, which is an issue for it.
Senator Thomas Byrne:
Does Mr. Boucher think the bank is being help by-----
Mr. Richie Boucher: Clearly. If the Senator had €5.4 billion in defaulted loans, he would be looking for help from wherever he could find it. From our point of view, we have made a great deal of progress and continue to look to approve. The primary engagement has to be with the bank. There should be transparency where taxpayers' money is being spent.
Senator Thomas Byrne:
What does Mr. Boucher mean by "transparency" in this context?
Mr. Richie Boucher: A third party contractor is dealing with taxpayers' money. AIB has €20 billion that was invested by the taxpayer. Some third party contractor is deciding who is granted a mortgage or a write-off and who does not.
Senator Thomas Byrne:
Obviously, Mr. Boucher has concerns about that arrangement. Is that the case?
Mr. Richie Boucher: I am just noting the fact.
Senator Thomas Byrne:
Mr. Boucher does not see Bank of Ireland using "a third party contractor," as he has described the organisation, to help people.
Mr. Richie Boucher: We use third party contractors in different areas. Our mortgage book has continued to improve. Our defaults have continued to come down and we can restructure. We can offer a restructure to 90% of customers who provide us with a standard financial statement. Different banks are in different positions in the marketplace.
Mr. Liam McLoughlin: We have 790 staff looking to support our mortgage arrears book. We have 250 branches across the country. Mortgage advisers are professionally trained to support people in mortgage arrears and financial difficulty by offering them sustainable solutions. We have over 50 network account managers working with customers face to face. This ensures customers have someone to work with when they complete their standard financial statements.
Senator Thomas Byrne:
They are working for the bank which, as we keep being reminded, is a public limited company.
Mr. Liam McLoughlin: Yes.
Senator Thomas Byrne:
That is fair enough. Is there a role for some other organisation to be contracted in, independently of the bank, to advise people separately?
Mr. Liam McLoughlin: What we have done in that case is-----
Mr. Richie Boucher: I am not sure about that. I really cannot comment on a relationship to which we are a party. I cannot comment on the nature of that relationship, the role, the level of transparency or what happens.