Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
349. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 2 June 2021, if he will address an issue in which a person (details supplied) in County Clare cannot get access to a copy of their own data from a bank for the relevant period from 1 March 2020 to 3 August 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31084/21]
View answerI can confirm for the Deputy that the answer I gave to Parliamentary Question No. 95 stands and which I will reiterate for his benefit.
As Minister for Finance, I have no role in how any bank manages its dealings with its customers, including those in which the State has a shareholding. Such matters are the sole responsibility of the board and management of the banks which must be run on an independent and commercial basis.
The independence of banks in which the State has a shareholding is protected by Relationship Frameworks which are legally binding documents that cannot be changed unilaterally. These frameworks, which are publicly available, were insisted upon by the European Commission to protect competition in the Irish market. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for me to intervene on behalf of an individual customer.
The person who has contacted you may wish to make an appeal to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) to have the matter independently investigated. It should be noted that the FSPO will only accept an appeal when an individual has first gone through their bank’s own appeals’ process.
