Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The bank believes it is fair to pay €2,000 to those who can afford a €200,000 mortgage. Bank of Ireland sees that as fair, right and proper for those who can afford such a loan. Let us look at the person whose family home has been repossessed. The bank has put them and their family out of their house and the residual debt is €200,000. The bank has deemed that they cannot afford to stay in their home because they obviously cannot afford to pay €200,000. However, the bank does not see it as fair to write off €2,000 for them. How does the bank square that circle? If a person who can afford a €200,000 mortgage comes to the bank before the end of September, the bank will give them a cheque for €2,000 to pay their stamp duty. However, a person turfed out of their house with a residual debt of €200,000 will be chased by the bank until the end of their lives for that sum and, as Mr. Boucher said, not a penny will be written down. How is that fair?