Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

One of the frequently asked questions at the session in Bray over the weekend was about joint ownership. We had several examples of women who remained in their homes after their husbands were gone, and the husbands were not contributing to the mortgages, which were therefore in arrears. Another example was one in which parents had co-signed for a mortgage, the children had emigrated and the mortgage was in arrears. These are utterly tragic situations in which parents who have paid off their own mortgages and who are in their mid-60s or even mid-70s are now in danger of losing their home. Can the person who is left behind in such situations institute the PIA process? Can the person who is not paying the mortgage veto a PIA for the other partner because he or she is not willing to participate?