http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0523/122431…
IL&P had considered closing bank division
CIARÁN HANCOCK, Business Affairs Correspondent
Wed, May 23, 2012
THE BOARD of Irish Life & Permanent Group Holdings considered
closing its banking subsidiary during talks on the restructuring of
the group with the troika, chairman Alan Cook told shareholders at
its annual meeting in Dublin yesterday.
“Nothing including outright closure of the bank was excluded ,” Mr
Cook said.
IL&P will submit its restructuring plan to the European
Commission for approval before the end of June, he added.
This will involve the separation of Irish Life from its banking arm
Permanent TSB, which made a loss before certain exceptional items
of €65 million in 2011.
He said the intention was to create a “new smaller and more
competitive [Irish] retail bank” to operate in conjunction with an
asset management arm and CHL, its closed book mortgage business in
the UK.
“Ultimately, we aspire to creating a competitive and profitable
retail bank in Ireland,” he said during a stormy meeting that
lasted for more than 2½ hours.
Shareholders vented their anger at PTSB’s high standard variable
interest rate for residential mortgages and the fact that they have
been wiped out by the €4 billion recapitalisation of the group by
the State, which was required following reviews of its capital
requirements by the Central Bank.
This involved a €2.7 billion injection of capital by the Government
and the forced sale to the State of Irish Life for €1.3
billion.
This has resulted in the State taking a 99.2 per cent stake in the
business with shareholders now owning just 0.8 per cent.
Mr Cook said this was a “matter of huge regret” to the board.
Mr Cook said its recent 0.5 per cent reduction in its variable
mortgage interest rate was a “gesture” not “scientifically
calculated”.
“It’s an indication of our intent . . . to put the business back
on an even keel,” he added.
Brendan Burgess, founder of personal finance website
askaboutmoney.com, was given the opportunity to address the
meeting.
Mr Burgess said ILP had done “enormous damage” to many families
around the country by pushing up its mortgage rates.
“The predatory rates are counter productive,” he said. “You are
losing money by forcing people into arrears.”
He said IL&P was now considered a “toxic bank” and a “predatory
bank”.
Mr Burgess also criticised IL&P’s public interest directors,
Ray MacSharry and Margaret Hayes, for their roles in the company’s
affairs over recent years.
He called for the bank to reduce its standard variable rate from
the current 4.69 per cent paid by existing mortgage holders to 3.69
per cent, which is offered to new customers.
In replying to this issue about a two-tier interest rate structure,
Mr Cook said: “We are issuing virtually no new mortgages even at
that rate. I can’t stand here in front of you today and state that
this is the right rate [4.69 per cent].”
Mr Cook said the board needed to “work hard” at “fixing” the bank
and making its products more competitive.
All 11 resolutions were passed, having received the support of
the State.
This included a proposal to change the company’s name to
Permanent TSB Group Holdings.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Cook restated PTSB’s
ambition to become the third biggest retail bank in
Ireland but declined to say how many job cuts would be
required as part of its restructuring.
“I will be upfront with people as soon as I know the answer,”
commented PTSB chief executive Jeremy Masding.
© 2012 The Irish Times