noted that despite multiple ECB rate increases there had been “almost no movement” in Ireland excluding tracker holders.
“The generosity of the main banks in not passing on ECB rate increases appears out of character,” he said. “Cynics may suggest that by not increasing variable rates the banks are more able to justify not increasing deposit rates. By holding deposit rates at near zero the banks can pocket juicy returns for themselves by maximising the spread between the rate they pay savers and the rate they charge lenders, known as their net margin.
An AIB spokeswoman said the bank had “insulated the vast majority of our deposit customers during a sustained period of European negative interest rates over eight years”. She added that it had increased deposit rates in recent months and, in “light of the evolving interest rate environment, we constantly keep all our rates under review”.
Bank of Ireland said it had been “very measured in the application of mortgage rate increases over the past year” and had made no change to variable mortgage rates but increased fixed rates by up to 1.5 per cent. “Along with a range of other deposit increases, we recently announced a new savings product offering a rate of 1.5 per cent. We will continue to take a measured approach into the future.”
A spokeswoman for Permanent TSB said it keeps rates “under review on an ongoing basis”, adding that no ECB rate increases have been passed on to variable-rate customers. It said it has “increased our deposit rates three times since November 2022 by up to 1.5 per cent”.