Sir, – While homeowners often compare mortgage rates domestically, on an internationally comparable basis they are being ripped off. According to the Central Bank of Ireland, average Irish mortgage interest rates in June were almost double the average across Europe at 3.35 per cent, which is well ahead of the euro-area average of 1.83 per cent. Irish taxpayers ensured these banks survived the financial crisis and are now being fleeced by the very companies they saved. – Yours, etc,
ANDREW BELL,
London.