Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to address a number of other issues, including multiple debts, an issue to which Mr. O'Connor referred. I was speaking to a constituent this week who had a monthly mortgage repayment of €1,200 to a bank other than Allied Irish Banks. The person in question was seeking to reduce this repayment to €900 per month for 18 months to facilitate clearing some smaller, shorter term loans which were approaching the end of their terms. My constituent proposed that, at the end of the 18-month period, the repayment would increase to €1,200 or possibly even a higher monthly amount. While I accept that repaying one's mortgage should be one's priority, people do not live in a vacuum. My constituent has a range of loans. The bank rejected the application to have the mortgage repayment reduced for 18 months. When making assessments, what consideration do banks give to debts other than the mortgage?