Page 11 - Ermanent Tsb News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Harris said the banks are ‘laggards’ in terms of the slow pace they passed on interest rate hikes to savers.

Sir — In recent times, I and a lot of people from outside Dublin have been listening to and tut-tutting about the deplorable attacks on tourists in the capital city. Disturbingly, the reports suggested that the attacks had been carried out by young teenagers and, sure enough, some have been arrested and charged.

Notwithstanding last week’s dramatic run on the banks — in the form of errors which allowed people to withdraw more funds than they had in their accounts — there is a more serious and systemic crisis in the Irish banking sector.

Yesterday morning, I woke thinking that maybe I ought to quit reading newspapers. And listening to the news on radio. And watching any news or current affairs stuff on TV. It’s depressing, seeing the triumph of the loud and the dim, the undermining of the useful and the thoughtful.

Since the economic and banking crash 15 years ago, and again during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, Ireland has become a nation of savers. Official estimates suggest four out of five adults have a bank, credit union or post office account for regular or occasional savings, or for putting away a lump sum on deposit.