Latest central bank statistics show stable private sector deposits at covered banks

This morning, the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) has released its monthly snapshot of the state of Irish banks focussing on deposits and lending. The data covers the period up to 31^st May 2012 and shows that during the month of May 2012, deposits by ordinary households and businesses reduced marginally by a nugatory €78m at the so-called “covered” or State-supported banks – essentially the two pillar banks, Bank of Ireland and AIB, and also Permanent TSB. The decrease of €78m from €107.6bn in April 2012 to €107.5bn in May 2012 means that deposits were practically flat during the month after the previous months impressive €3.7bn increase. Deposits are now back at May 2011 levels which is indeed very positive but are still down €17bn from October 2010, the month before the IMF/EU bailout. Private sector deposits fell at covered banks in the past 12 months by just €39m, but this masks heavy falls June 2011 when the intensifying Greek crisis undermined confidence across the PIIGS countries. After four months of modest rises and with a €1.2bn increase in March 2012 and €3.7bn in April 2012 and despite the insignificant €78m decline in May 2012, I think it is fair to say there are signs of stabilisation.

The CBI doesn’t provide an analysis of deposits at the covered banks – about the only analysis it doesn’t provide – but in terms of all banks operating in Ireland including foreign and IFSC banks, Irish household deposits increased by €109m in May, which brings such deposits to €92.1bn, the same as the June 2011 level. Total deposits from all sources in all Irish banks increased by €7bn in May 2012 – the first increase since August 2011, mostly attributable to deposits from the Rest of World.

The Department of Finance hasn’t bothered to produce a “deposit trends” note for May but the note for April 2012  can be seen here . It confirms what the CBI is saying, and it shows retail deposits at the covered banks increasing by €2bn in April 2012 and such deposits now stand at €151bn. These figures include deposits at overseas operations of Irish banks eg the Bank of Ireland/Post Office joint venture in the UK. However the Department does say that one half of the increase in the month is from deposits at Irish branches. So again, the bouquet is positive, and should be welcomed as good news.

Here is the full set of deposit statistics for the different categories of bank operating in Ireland.

First up is the consolidated picture for all banks operating in Ireland including those 450-banks based in the IFSC which do not service the domestic economy.

Next up are the 20 banks which do service the domestic economy and include local subsidiaries of foreign banks like Danske, KBC and Rabobank. There is a list of all banks operating in Ireland here together with a note of the 20 that service the domestic economy.

And lastly the six State-guaranteed or “covered” financial institutions (AIB, Anglo, Bank of Ireland, EBS, Irish Life and Permanent and INBS – Anglo and INBS have now been merged to form the Irish Banking Resolution Corporation, IBRC)

(1) Monetary Financial Institutions (MFIs) refers to credit institutions, as defined in Community Law, money market funds, and other resident financial institutions whose business is to receive deposits and/or close substitutes for deposits from entities other than MFIs, and, for their own account (at least in economic terms), to grant credits and/or to make investments in securities. Since January 2009, credit institutions include Credit Unions as regulated by the Registrar of Credit Unions. Under ESA 95, the Eurosystem (including the Central Bank of Ireland) and other non-euro area national central banks are included in the MFI institutional sector. In the tables presented here, however, central banks are not included in the loans and deposits series with respect to MFI counterparties.

(2) NR Euro are Non-Resident European depositors

(3) NR Row are Non-Resident Rest of World depositors (ie outside Europe)

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NAMA has receivers appointed to two new companies

NAMA’s foreclosure action continues apace but at a less intense pace than earlier this year. We learn from today’s edition of Iris Oifigiuil that two more companies have fallen.

First up is Horison Developments Limited to which NAMA had Simon Coyle of Mazars appointed as a statutory receiver on 22^nd June 2012.. Horison is controlled by Capel Developments directors Brian Molloy, Edward Keegan, Liam Kelly and Thomas Molloy,

Secondly we have Clubko Limited to which NAMA had Martin Ferris (or Martin V Ferris, which presumably differentiates him from the Kerry Sinn Fein deputy) from Ferris and Associates as a statutory receiver on 25^th June, 2012. Clubko is controlled by pub supremo Hugh O’Regan with minority shareholdings held by Delores Barry and a company called Beldent Limited.

Remember you can see a comprehensive list of Irish foreclosure action by NAMA here and in this regularly updated spreadsheet.

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Stop press: NAMA publishes new foreclosure list of properties

(The new properties added in May 2012, click to ENLARGE)

 

NAMA has today published its now regular monthly list of properties subjected to foreclosure action – the list shows NAMA foreclosed properties at the end of May 2012. The full list is here, the list of new properties added is here, and you will find previous editions of the monthly list which was first launched in July 2011, here. It is hoped to have the list in a spreadsheet format shortly, available here.

You should read the full list of NAMA’s terms for accessing the lists here. But in summary, this is what you’re looking at:

(1) Real estate property subject to loans in NAMA to which receivers have been appointed. The receiver’s website is shown against each property.

(2) This is all the real estate foreclosed sorted by country, and then region.

(3) Not all of the property may be for sale.

(4) Contact the receiver with enquiries or expressions of interest in the first instance. Only pester NAMA if you’re not getting any response from the receiver and make allowances for receivers being busy with queries, particularly after a new release of foreclosed property.

(5) If you think there are mistakes on the list, contact NAMA.

Comment and analysis here shortly.

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Six months after NAMA pledges to make 2,000 homes available for social housing, not a single home has been provided.

It was just before Christmas last year when Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan announced with fanfare that NAMA had agreed to make 2,000 homes available for social housing. In a country where there are nearly 100,000 households on the housing waiting list, the announcement was roundly welcomed. Six months later, and we learn that not a single home has so far come available.

Yesterday in the Dail,  Sinn Fein TDs, Pearse Doherty, Sandra McLellan and Martin Ferris asked the Housing Minister, Jan O’Sullivan about progress with releasing NAMA controlled homes for social housing. More than half the 2,000 homes are apparently unsuitable or have been otherwise sold/rented. Though there are 405 homes “at various stages of the approval process and 719 are being appraised”, contracts have been signed in respect of 58. But these 58 are likely to have been the 58 apartments at the Beacon South Quarter which were sold to the Cluaid Housing Association. Last summer 2011. In other words, since the fanfare of the 2,000 homes announcement six months ago, not a single home has in fact been acquired for social housing.

“Deputy Martin Ferris : To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he is taking to ensure that housing secured for leasing under the National Assets management Agency will not leave tenants isolated from community and services.

Deputy Sandra McLellan: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reasons properties offered by the National Assets Management Agency for leasing were deemed unsuitable..

Deputy Pearse Doherty :To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will give an update on the development of the National Assets Management Agency properties for social housing; and if he will endeavour to secure housing from NAMA for local authority ownership..

Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Jan O’Sullivan: I propose to take Question Nos. 16, 31 and 43 together. Since the announcement in December 2011 thatNAMA would commit to providing up to 2,000 units for social housing by the end of 2012, my Department, the Housing Agency and NAMA have been working together with housing authorities and approved housing bodies towards achieving this target.  The units being advanced through NAMA will in general be provided through the Social Housing Leasing Initiative under the standard terms and conditions that apply.

To date over 2,000 units have been examined with a view to determining their suitability for social housing.  Of the original number, 701 have been deemed unsuitable by housing authorities.  Housing authorities assess the suitability of these properties with regard to location, local demand, the nature of the accommodation and sustainable community principles.

A further 372 have been withdrawn, usually by property owners, as circumstances have changed.  In some cases the properties concerned have been let on the open market or sold and are no longer available as vacant units.

At present demand has been confirmed for nearly 1,200 available units and these are currently being processed.  It is important to note that while demand has been confirmed in respect of practically all residential developments proposed by NAMA, the requirement to provide for an appropriate mix of tenures and to avoid undue segregation in housing means that local authorities will only ever deem a certain proportion of units within individual developments suitable for social housing.  Discussion and negotiation has commenced in respect of these properties involving approved housing bodies, local authorities, the property owners, financial institutions, receivers and other relevant parties.

Of these 1,200 properties, contracts are signed in respect of 58 units, 405 of these units are at various stages of the approval process and 719 are being appraised.  It is  expected that units will be tenanted in the second half of the year.  NAMA continues to work with a view to identifying additional units suitable for inclusion in the programme.”

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EU debt deal – there is no Santa Claus, someone has to pay

Having studied the statements emerging this morning after yet another marathon EU summit, I am still scratching my head to see what all the fuss is about.

The markets certainly believe something has agreed which strengthens the debt sustainability of Spain, Italy and Ireland with bond rates tumbling this morning. Though having said that, Ireland’s benchmark 9-year bond is presently at 6.77% down from 7.1% yesterday, but 6.8% is the same as just a few weeks ago before Spain asked for a bailout or “credit facility”. Spain’s 10-year bond is at 6.6% which is down from the 7% yesterday, but still at an elevated unsustainable level.

So has there been a Big Bang, a new dawn in Europe and the seeds of a solution to the four-year old crisis?

If there is, I can’t see it.

There is no development apparent in the announcements which will see Ireland’s bank-bailout generated debt shared or reduced. And in Ireland’s case, that’s the issue – the 40% of debt:GDP which the country is shouldering to bail out banks. What we get is a fund which will loan money directly to banks. The fund will not absorb losses. The fund will want its loans back. There is no Santa Claus.

The summit statement from European Council president Herman van Rumpuy goes as follows:

“We affirm that it is imperative to break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns. The Commission will present Proposals on the basis of Article 127(6) for a single supervisory mechanism shortly. We ask the Council to consider these Proposals as a matter of urgency by the end of 2012. When an effective single supervisory mechanism is established, involving the ECB, for banks in the euro area the ESM could, following a regular decision, have the possibility to recapitalize banks directly. This would rely on appropriate conditionality, including compliance with state aid rules, which should be institution specific, sector-specific or economy-wide and would be formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding. The Eurogroup will examine the situation of the Irish financial sector with the view of further improving the sustainability of the well-performing adjustment programme. Similar cases will be treated equally.”

Ireland’s banks are already recapitalized, in fact we have the most capitalized banks in the EU. There is a distinct possibility of additional capital being required for Irish banks – Matthew Elderfield has flagged €4bn of additional requirements, and if the mortgage crisis results in the crystallization of losses at the banks, then that too will generate a need more capital, as will a deterioration in the economy. But there is absolutely no indication that some Santa Claus will shoulder losses in individual countries’ banks.

What does this mean for us? Nothing, as far as I can see. No-one is suggesting any new fund will foot the bill for bank losses – past, present or future losses/losses in Ireland, Spain or elsewhere. Think about it – who would pay for such losses? Germany? France? China? Santa Claus?

Ireland gets a specific mention in the summit statement. And there is a compliment for our “well-performing adjustment programme” – so far we have met all financial targets in the Memorandum of Understanding, but with another €5,000 per household of adjustment needed with the “low hanging fruit” well-and-truly picked, that adjustment programme will be increasingly difficult to comply with. But what is meant by the “situation of the Irish financial sector”? We have bailed out the banks to the tune of €68bn – €28bn of extant promissory notes, €5bn in NAMA bonds and the rest in cash, which given we are running deficits, is borrowed. There is no suggestion of a refund for cash already injected into the banks, and if there is some debt writedown on the promissory notes, who will pay for that?

What we have got today from the EU is some more L’Oreal skin cream which smells pleasant, moisturises the skin and leaves a nice texture. What we have, however, is skin cancer and these announcements by themselves don’t deal with the disease of actual bank losses.

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