Irish Banks to Face Increased Capital Demand

Irish banks are set to be forced to hold more capital to cope with a future economic downturn, according to a person familiar with the matter. The central bank is leaning toward increasing the so-called counter cyclical capital buffer from 0% in coming months, according to the person, who asked not to be identified as the information is not yet public.

The bank could announce an increase within the next 10 days, when the latest buffer review is due to be published, though no final decision has been taken, Bloomberg reported.

Last month, the central bank said it saw a growing argument for building buffers, as home prices rise and the economy strengthens.

Earlier this month, French authorities activated the buffer requirement for the first time, setting it at 0.25% for French exposures, joining financial powers such as the UK and Sweden in raising the rate above zero.

Introduced in 2015, the buffer is meant to guard against banks’ tendency to boost lending in boom times and then slash it in a bust, potentially exacerbating an economic slowdown by denying companies credit when they need it most. It is designed to be built up when risks are growing, and released during times of stress.

The central bank is weighing a range of factors as it considers increasing the rate, according to the source. Most Irish banks already hold more capital than strictly necessary, so could handle an increase in the minimum requirement, which would take a year to fully implement.

In addition, a move now may not hurt the buoyant economy, Bloomberg said. Unlike other tools, the buffer targets general lending rather than a particular area of credit such as mortgages.

In a downturn, the buffer can be reduced, allowing banks to release capital back into the economy through lending if needed. Generally, a central bank may set it at between 0% and 2.5%.

If the first ever increase has a more negative than anticipated economic impact, it could be reversed any time, the source said.