Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
181. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the steps in place to protect the confidentiality of appellants with regard to the independent appeals process at a bank (details supplied) and other banks, for example, in a circumstance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32726/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Central Bank advises that under the Tracker Mortgage Examination Framework all lenders have been required to establish independent Appeals Panels, specifically to deal with customers who are not satisfied with any aspect of the redress and compensation offers that they receive from lenders. Details and information on how to make an appeal is included by lenders as part of the customer’s redress and compensation offer.
The Central Bank engaged with and challenged lenders on the terms of reference and procedural rules of their Appeals Panels when they were being drafted. However, the Appeals Panels are independent of both the lender and the Central Bank, as this was deemed critical for their credibility.
While the Central Bank expects lenders to follow its own procedural rules and ensure all its regulatory and data protection obligations are adhered to, the Data Protection Commission is the competent authority for dealing with data protection matters. Where customers are not satisfied with how their personal data has been handled, they have the right to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commission. Information on this can be found at https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/individuals/complaints-handling-investigations-and-enforcement-individuals.
