Ahern: View banks less negatively

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has called for a less negative attitude towards banks - specifically towards the levels of profits which they earn.

Mr Ahern was speaking at the Irish Bankers Federation lunch in Dublin yesterday.

He said that while companies in other sectors were congratulated when they made large profits, banks which did the same were assumed to be operating at an adverse cost to their customers.

He added that this was the case even if most of the profits were made from corporate or international activity rather than personal banking.