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The clergymen were questioned by MLAs at Stormont on Wednesday
A group of leading clergymen has told the Assembly that business people have taken their own lives, partly due to how their banks have treated them.
Representatives from the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church gave evidence to the finance and industry committees.
They said they had heard "harrowing" stories from credible sources.
They also gave details of their meetings with banks, which had followed their criticism of lending practices.
The Reverend Donald Kerr from the Methodist Church said they had been contacted about cases where it appeared some banks had not treated businesses in a "fair or equitable manner".
He said there were examples of banks putting "undue pressure" on some firms, even though the businesses were already meeting their obligations.
Mr Kerr said: "A moral issue does arise when the power that banks inevitably have in a relationship with any particular firm is not used properly."
When the UUP's David McNarry challenged the clergymen to give more details about their claims that banks' behaviour was contributing to suicide, Mr Kerr said it was not the clergy's resposibility to investigate the matter in "tight forensic detail".
"Nevertheless, that is what we have heard. Therefore we hear it with pastoral concern and pass it on," he said.
Father Tim Bartlett said they were hearing of "an abuse of an imbalance of power" between banks and their customers.
He said that when he made banking representatives aware of the instances of suicide during his meetings with them, they did not challenge the claims.
Fr Barlett added that during the meetings with bankers, he was struck by "the complexity of the problems they are wrestling with, their stated commitment to good practice, their talent, commitment and professionalism".
"They also need our encouragement, support, understanding and prayers," he said.
Wednesday's session at Stormont followed a statement from the leaders of Northern Ireland's four main churches in June, in which they accused banks of "holding back recovery, and putting businesses and their employees at risk".
At the time, the British Bankers' Association branded the statement "shocking" and said that lending to small businesses had risen by 5% in the past year.
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The clergymen were questioned by MLAs at Stormont on Wednesday A group of leading clergymen has told the Assembly that business people have taken their own lives, partly due to how their banks have treated them.
Representatives from the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church gave evidence to the finance and industry committees.
They said they had heard "harrowing" stories from credible sources.
They also gave details of their meetings with banks, which had followed their criticism of lending practices.
The Reverend Donald Kerr from the Methodist Church said they had been contacted about cases where it appeared some banks had not treated businesses in a "fair or equitable manner".
He said there were examples of banks putting "undue pressure" on some firms, even though the businesses were already meeting their obligations.
Mr Kerr said: "A moral issue does arise when the power that banks inevitably have in a relationship with any particular firm is not used properly."
When the UUP's David McNarry challenged the clergymen to give more details about their claims that banks' behaviour was contributing to suicide, Mr Kerr said it was not the clergy's resposibility to investigate the matter in "tight forensic detail".
"Nevertheless, that is what we have heard. Therefore we hear it with pastoral concern and pass it on," he said.
Father Tim Bartlett said they were hearing of "an abuse of an imbalance of power" between banks and their customers.
He said that when he made banking representatives aware of the instances of suicide during his meetings with them, they did not challenge the claims.
Fr Barlett added that during the meetings with bankers, he was struck by "the complexity of the problems they are wrestling with, their stated commitment to good practice, their talent, commitment and professionalism".
"They also need our encouragement, support, understanding and prayers," he said.
Wednesday's session at Stormont followed a statement from the leaders of Northern Ireland's four main churches in June, in which they accused banks of "holding back recovery, and putting businesses and their employees at risk".
At the time, the British Bankers' Association branded the statement "shocking" and said that lending to small businesses had risen by 5% in the past year.
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.