In mid-February, I conducted a public interview with the Governor of the Central Bank Gabriel Makhlouf as part of a series on leadership organised by the accountancy firm Grant Thornton. The conversation was wide-ranging, with Makhlouf accepting a large number of questions from those in virtual attendance. He linked bitcoin to the Dutch Tulip bubble, questioned the future of bricks and mortar retailing, and expressed his disappointment with FBD’s bungled handling of disputed Covid claims. But he saved his most stern and sober comments for a question about the high levels of capital and high solvency ratios at Irish banks.…

Want to continue reading?

Avail of our LIMITED TIME special offer and access this piece – and everything else on The Currency – for one month for just €1.

Subscribe

Cancel at any time.

Are you already a member? .