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Some Irish banks will pay more under extended bank levy - finance minister

Ireland's Minister for Finance Michael Noonan displays a copy of the Budget on the steps of Government Buildings in Dublin. October 13, 2015. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Some Irish banks will pay more under a proposed new means of collecting an annual bank levy after it was extended until 2021, Finance Minister Michael Noonan said on Tuesday. "I'm not scapegoating the banks but I believe they still owe the Irish taxpayer. It's well worth doing and the banks are willing to pay," Noonan told a news conference after announcing the extension during his budget speech. "The basis is on the amount on deposit in 2011 and a lot has changed since 2011. We want to re-examine the basis for applying the levy for the individual banks - some banks have left, some have reduced, others have expanded so some will pay more and some will be paying less." (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Pravin Char)