Credit risk methodologies (audited) Internal credit rating models

The use of internal credit rating models and scoring tools, which measure the degree of risk inherent in lending to specific counterparties, is central to the credit risk assessment and ongoing management processes within the Group.

The primary model measures used are:

• Probability of Default (PD): the probability of a given counterparty defaulting on any of its borrowings from the Group within the next twelve months;

• Exposure at Default (EAD): the exposure the Group has to a defaulting borrower at the time of default; • Loss Given Default (LGD): the loss incurred (after the realisation of any collateral) on a specific

transaction should the borrower default, expressed as a percentage of EAD; and

• Maturity: the contractual or estimated time period until an exposure is fully repaid or cancelled. These measures are used to calculate expected loss and are fully embedded in, and form an essential component of, the Group’s operational and strategic credit risk management and credit pricing practices.

For the Group’s retail consumer and smaller business portfolios, which are characterised by a large volume of customers with smaller individual exposures, the credit risk assessment is grounded on application and behavioural scoring tools. For larger commercial and corporate customers, the risk assessment is underpinned by statistical risk rating models which incorporate quantitative information from the customer (e.g. financial accounts) together with a qualitative assessment of non-financial risk factors such as management quality and market / trading outlook. Other financial assets are assigned an internal rating supported by external ratings of the major rating agencies.

The credit risk rating systems employed within the Group use statistical analysis combined, where appropriate, with external data and the judgement of professional lenders.

An independent unit annually validates internal credit risk models from a performance and compliance perspective. This unit provides reports to the Risk Measurement Committee (RMC).

Risk modelling is also applied at a portfolio level in the Group’s credit businesses to guide economic capital allocation and strategic portfolio management.

The measures to calculate credit risk referred to above are used to calculate expected loss on a regulatory basis. A different basis is used to derive the amount of incurred credit losses for financial reporting purposes. For financial reporting purposes, impairment allowances are recognised only with respect to losses that have been incurred at the balance sheet date based on objective evidence of impairment. Regulatory approval of approaches

The Bank of Ireland Group has regulatory approval to use its internal credit models in the calculation of its capital requirements. As at 31 December 2014, 80% of credit risk weighted assets (excluding non-credit obligations) were calculated using internal credit models. This approval covers the adoption of the Foundation IRB approach for non-retail exposures and the Retail IRB approach for retail exposures. The structure of internal rating systems

The Group divides its internal rating systems into non-retail and retail approaches. Both approaches differentiate PD estimates into eleven grades in addition to the category of default. For both non-retail and retail internal rating systems, default is defined based on the likelihood of non-payment indicators that vary between borrower types. In all cases, exposures 90 days or more past due are considered to be in default.

PD calculation

The Group produces estimates of PD on either or both of the following bases:

• Through-the-Cycle (TtC) estimates are estimates of default over an entire economic cycle, averaged to a twelve month basis. These are in effect averaged expectations of PD for a borrower over the economic cycle; and

• Cyclical estimates are estimates of default applicable to the next immediate twelve months. These cyclical estimates partially capture the economic cycle in that they typically rise in an economic downturn and decline in an economic upturn but not necessarily to the same degree as default rates change in the economy.

Non-Retail internal rating systems

The Group has adopted the Foundation IRB approach for certain of its non-retail exposures. Under this approach, the Group calculates its own estimates for PD and uses supervisory estimates of LGD, typically 45%, and credit conversion factors. To calculate PD, the Group assesses the credit quality of borrowers and other counterparties using criteria particular to the type of borrower under consideration. In the case of financial institutions, external credit agency ratings are used to provide a significant challenge within the Group’s ratings approach. For exposures other than financial institutions, external ratings, when available for borrowers, play a role in the independent validation of internal estimates.

Retail internal rating systems

The Group has adopted the Retail IRB approach for its retail exposures. Under this approach, the Group calculates its own estimates for PD, LGD and credit conversion factors. External ratings do not play a role within the Group’s retail internal rating systems, however, external credit bureau data does play a significant role in assessing UK retail borrowers. To calculate LGD and credit conversion factors, the Group assesses the nature of the transaction and underlying collateral. Both LGD and credit conversion factors estimates are calibrated to produce estimates of behaviour characteristic of an economic downturn. Other uses of Internal Estimates

Internal estimates play an essential role in risk management and decision making processes, the credit approval functions, the internal capital allocation function and the corporate governance functions of the Group. The specific uses of internal estimates differ from portfolio to portfolio, and for retail and non-retail approaches, but typically include:

• internal reporting; • credit management;

• calculation of Risk Adjusted Return on Capital (RAROC); • credit decisioning / automated credit decisioning;

• borrower credit approval; and

• internal capital allocation between businesses of the Group.

For non-retail exposures, through-the-cycle PD estimates are used to calculate internal economic capital. For other purposes, the cyclical PD estimates typically are used. Both estimates feature within internal management reporting.

Control mechanisms for rating systems

The control mechanisms for rating systems are set out in the Group’s Credit IRB Model Policy and Standards. Model risk is one of the ten key risk types identified by the Group, the governance of which is outlined in the Group’s Model Risk Policy. RMC approves all risk rating models, model developments, model implementations and all associated policies. The Group mitigates model risk as follows:

• model development standards: the Group adopts centralised standards and methodologies over the operation and development of models. The Group has specific policies on documentation, data quality and management, conservatism and validation. This mitigates model risk at model inception;

• model governance: the Group adopts a uniform approach to the governance of all model related activities. This ensures the appropriate involvement of stakeholders, ensuring that responsibilities and accountabilities are clear;

• model performance monitoring: all models are subject to testing on a quarterly basis. The findings are reported to, and appropriate actions, where necessary, approved by RMC; and

• independent validation: all models are subject to in-depth analysis at least annually. This analysis is carried out by a dedicated unit (the Independent Control Unit (ICU)). It is independent of credit origination and management functions.

In addition, Group Internal Audit regularly reviews the risk control framework, including policies and standards, to ensure that these are being adhered to, meet industry good practices and are compliant with regulatory requirements. The ICU function is independently audited on an annual basis.

Where models are found to be inadequate, they are remediated on a timely basis or are replaced. Methodology for loan loss provisioning

All credit exposures, either individually or collectively, are regularly reviewed for objective evidence of impairment. Where such evidence of impairment exists, the exposure is measured for an impairment provision. The criteria used to determine if there is objective evidence of impairment include:

• delinquency in contractual payments of principal or interest; • cash flow difficulties;

• breach of loan covenants or conditions;

• granting a concession to a borrower, for economic or legal reasons, relating to the borrower’s financial difficulty that would otherwise not be considered;

• deterioration of the borrower’s competitive position; • deterioration in the value of collateral;

• external rating downgrade below an acceptable level; or • initiation of bankruptcy proceedings.

At 31 December 2014, each of the following portfolio specific events requires the completion of an impairment assessment to determine whether a loss event has occurred at the balance sheet date that may lead to recognition of impairment losses:

Residential mortgages

• loan asset has fallen 90 days past due;

• a forbearance measure has been requested by a borrower and formally assessed;

• a modification of loan terms resulting in the non-payment of interest, including the refinancing and renegotiation of facilities where there is evidence of a loss event and / or borrower financial distress; • notification of, or intended application for, bankruptcy proceedings, debt settlement or personal

insolvency arrangement or similar; or

Non-property SME and corporate

• loan asset has fallen 90 days past due;

• a forbearance measure has been requested by a borrower and formally assessed;

• a modification of loan terms resulting in the non-payment of interest, including the refinancing and renegotiation of facilities where there is evidence of a loss event and / or borrower financial distress; • internal credit risk rating, or external credit rating, has been downgraded below a certain level; • financial statements or financial assessment indicates inability of the borrower to meet debt service

obligations and / or a negative net assets position; • borrower has ceased trading; or

• initiation of bankruptcy / insolvency proceedings. Property and construction

• loan asset has fallen 90 days past due;

• a forbearance measure has been requested by a borrower and formally assessed;

• a modification of loan terms resulting in the non-payment of interest, including the refinancing and renegotiation of facilities where there is evidence of a loss event and / or borrower financial distress; • internal credit risk rating, or external credit rating, has been downgraded below a certain level; • financial statements or financial assessment indicates inability of the borrower to meet debt service

obligations and / or a negative net assets position; • initiation of bankruptcy / insolvency proceedings;

• a fall in the assessed current value of security such that the loan to value ratio is greater than or equal to 120%;

• a fall in net rent such that it is inadequate to cover interest with little / no other income to support debt service capacity (Investment property exposures only); or

• a fall in the assessed gross development value such that sale proceeds are no longer expected to fully repay debt (development exposures only).

Consumer

• loan asset has fallen 90 days past due;

• a forbearance measure has been requested by a borrower and formally assessed; or

• a modification of loan terms resulting in the non-payment of interest, including the refinancing and renegotiation of facilities where there is evidence of a loss event and / or borrower financial distress. Where objective evidence of impairment exists, as a result of one or more past events, the Group is required to estimate the recoverable amount of the exposure or group of exposures.

For financial reporting purposes, loans on the balance sheet that become impaired are written down to their estimated recoverable amount. The amount of this write down is taken as an impairment charge in the income statement.

Loans with a specific impairment provision attaching to them together with loans (excluding Residential mortgages) which are greater than 90 days in arrears are included as impaired loans.

The Group’s impairment provisioning methodologies are compliant with IFRS. International Accounting Standard (IAS) 39 requires objective evidence of impairment as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the asset (a ‘loss event’) and that loss event (or events) has an impact on the estimated future cash flows of the financial asset or group of financial assets that can be reliably estimated. Losses expected as a result of future events, no matter how likely, are not recognised. Methodology for individually assessing impairment

An individual impairment assessment is performed for any exposure for which there is objective evidence of impairment and where the exposure is above an agreed threshold. For Residential mortgage, Non-property SME and corporate, and Property and construction exposures, a de-minimis total customer exposure level of A1 million applies for the mandatory completion of a discounted cash flow analysis for the assessment of impairment. The carrying amount of the exposure net of the estimated recoverable amount (and thus the specific provision required) is calculated using a discounted cashflow analysis. This calculates the estimated recoverable amount as the present value of the estimated future cash flows, discounted at the exposure’s original effective interest rate (or the current effective interest rate for variable rate exposures). The estimated future cash flows include forecasted principal and interest payments (not necessarily contractual amounts due) including cash flows, if any, from the realisation of collateral / security held, less realisation costs.

A significant element of the Group’s credit exposures are assessed for impairment on an individual basis. An analysis of the Group’s impairment provisions and impairment charge by nature of impairment provision is set out in the tables on page 99.

Methodology for collectively assessing impairment

Where exposures fall below the threshold for individual assessment of impairment by way of discounted cash flow analysis, such exposures are subject to individual lender assessment to assess for impairment (which may involve the completion of a discounted cash flow analysis to quantify the specific provision amount), or are automatically included for collective impairment provisioning. For collective impairment provisioning, exposures with similar credit risk characteristics (e.g. portfolio of consumer personal loans) are pooled together and a provision is calculated by estimating the future cash flows of a group of exposures. In pooling exposures based on similar credit risk characteristics, consideration is given to features including: asset type; industry; past due status; collateral type; and forbearance status. The provision estimation considers the expected contractual cash flows of the exposures in a portfolio and the historical loss experience for exposures with credit risk characteristics similar to those in the portfolio being assessed. Assumptions and parameters used in the collective provisioning models, which are based on historical experience (i.e. amount and timing of cash flows / loss given default), are regularly compared against current experience in the loan book and current market conditions.

For example, Retail Ireland Residential mortgage customer exposures less than A1 million are provisioned for impairment on a collective basis. These mortgage exposures are pooled based on similar credit risk characteristics such as: asset type, geographical location, origination channel, and forbearance status. The Retail Ireland Residential mortgage collective specific provisioning model parameters and assumptions have been updated in the current year, informed by the Group’s recent observed experience (incorporating

increased and more granular residential property sales data) and property price movements in the period. The updated assumptions included:

• refined assumptions for residential property valuations;

• enhanced and more granular assumptions regarding forced sale discounts; and

• updated cure rate, time to sale and work-out cost assumptions informed by the Group’s observed experience.

Some of the key parameters used in the Retail Ireland Residential mortgage collective specific provisioning model include assumptions in relation to: residential property valuation (31 December 2014: 10% discount to indexed value(1) _{for both Dublin and Non-Dublin properties); forced sale discount}

(31 December 2014: 10% to 25%); work-out costs (31 December 2014: 6%), weighted average cure rate (31 December 2014: c.8.0% over two and a half years) and time to sale (31 December 2014: two and a half year rolling average from the reporting date).

The provisioning model assumptions and parameters use historical loan loss experience adjusted where appropriate for current conditions and current observable data. Cure assumptions reflect the definition of cure per the CBI ‘Impairment Provisioning and Disclosure Guidelines’ (May 2013) which requires satisfactory completion of a twelve month probation period, while being less than 30 days past due. All provisioning model assumptions and parameters are reviewed on a half-yearly basis and updated, if appropriate, based on recent observed experience.

The more material changes in the parameters and assumptions used in the December 2014 model compared to the 31 December 2013 model relate to refined assumptions for residential property valuations combined with the enhanced, more granular assumptions regarding forced sale discounts. As outlined above, the assumption adopted by the Group at 31 December 2014 in respect of the value of Irish residential properties reflected the indexed value1 _{discounted by 10% for both Dublin and Non-Dublin}

properties. Previously, the Group assumed an average decline in the value of all Irish residential properties equal to 55% from their peak in 2007. This change was prompted by continued residential property price increases observed throughout 2014. The forced sale discounts applied at 31 December 2014 are informed by the Group’s recent property sales experience and are more granular being segmented by region (i.e. Dublin and Non-Dublin) and market segment (i.e. Owner occupied and Buy to let), with forced sale discounts ranging from 10%-25%. At 31 December 2013, the collective specific provisioning model applied a 10% forced sale discount assumption to all properties.

The Group’s critical accounting estimates and judgements on pages 236 to 239, include sensitivity analysis disclosure on some of the key judgmental areas, including Residential mortgages, in the estimation of impairment charges.

Where there is objective evidence of impairment on a collective basis, this is reported as a specific provision (‘collective specific’) in line with individually assessed loans. An analysis of the Group’s impairment provisions and impairment charge by nature of impairment provision is set out in the tables on page 99.

(1) Indexed value with reference to end September 2014 CSO residential property price index for ‘Dublin—all residential properties’ and ‘National excluding Dublin—all residential properties’ (hereafter ‘Non-Dublin’). At that date, the Dublin index was 39.6% lower than its peak and the non-Dublin index was 44.0% lower than its peak. The end September CSO index was published on 22 October 2014 and was used in the updating of the Retail Ireland mortgage collective impairment provisioning parameters and assumptions, which

Methodology for establishing incurred but not reported (IBNR) provisions

Impairment provisions are also recognised for losses not specifically identified but which, experience and observable data indicate, are present in the portfolio / group of exposures at the date of assessment. These are described as incurred but not reported provisions. Statistical models are used to determine the appropriate level of IBNR provisions for a portfolio / group of exposures with similar credit risk characteristics (e.g. asset type, geographical location, forbearance status etc.). These models estimate latent losses taking into account three observed and / or estimated parameters / assumptions:

• loss emergence rates (based on historic grade migration experience and current PD grades, offset by cure expectations where appropriate);

• the emergence period (historic experience, adjusted to reflect the current conditions and the credit management model); and

• LGD rates (loss and recovery rates using historical loan loss experience, adjusted where appropriate to reflect current observable data).

Account performance is reviewed periodically to confirm that the credit grade or PD assigned remains appropriate and to determine if impairment has arisen. For consumer and smaller ticket commercial