Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Deering and Ms Cassidy for their very extensive presentation, which follows on from our previous meeting on the Citizens' Information service and MABS.

The dispute resolution team dealt with some 2,500 cases during 2016, which is a significant number. If the FSO engages with a person in dispute with a financial institution and a file is created, can the financial institution, or debt recovery people on its behalf, pursue that person? A couple of constituents of mine engaged with FSO on a technical matter pertaining to a financial service but a debt recovery agency is now pursuing them. It is exceptionally traumatic for them to have to engage the services of the financial ombudsman but the debt recovery agency is now pursuing them on behalf of the financial institution. Is that in order?