Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Having practised as a solicitor for a number of years, I am very conscious of how the mortgage market has changed. It changed from circumstances in which one had to save one's First Holy Communion money with a building society for approximately 40 years before one became eligible to apply for a loan, only to be turned down, to circumstances in which money was being thrown at people. My concern is that we may overstep the mark and put people, particularly those not in permanent employment and those who work for themselves, in circumstances where they will never be able to own their own homes. I am concerned about how the mortgage market is playing out. What can we do to avoid returning to circumstances where people are permanently deprived of the possibility of owning their own home?