Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Let me repeat for the Deputy that in regard to mortgage accounts, some 79,689 were categorised as restructured at the end of March 2013. Of those, 53% were not in arrears at the end of quarter one. As a percentage of the total stock in arrears, both early and 90 days plus, 37,454 - or 26% - were classified as restructured. That does not suggest that 47% have fallen back into arrears. Restructured accounts in arrears include accounts that were in arrears prior to restructuring and where the arrears balance has not yet been eliminated, as well as accounts that are in arrears in the current restructuring arrangement.

New data collected for this quarter indicate that 76% of restructured PDH accounts were deemed to be meeting the terms of their arrangement. Deputy Martin himself admitted the other day that the Governments of which he was a member failed to deal with regulating the banks. The light-touch regulation, which became a feature as a policy issue, was a real contributing factor to people having to have inflated mortgages for inflated prices which drove them into this difficulty in the beginning.

The Government has been working assiduously for quite some time to put through the legislation and put in place the mechanism and tools both for borrowers and lenders in order to deal with this.

The Deputy will be aware of the changes that have been brought about in regard to the rights of the consumer as distinct from the rights of the lender, the periods of time that must elapse-----

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