David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for allowing me to say a few words here this afternoon. This is an extremely important matter. I am rather ashamed that these benches are not absolutely full. This committee should have every single member here, if they are decent Irish people. Half the people here are not members of the committee. They should be here, and I hope they read the minutes of this meeting.

I have been interested in this for many years. At the beginning of the financial crisis I suggested the establishment of a minister for home security to make sure that Irish citizens were maintained in their homes. In the 19th century Michael Davitt and Charles Stewart Parnell fought against evictions. Eviction is a dirty word in Ireland.

In the light of the fact that the banks were bailed out to the tune of €65 billion, have learned absolutely nothing from the crisis, are still charging irregular, inappropriate and probably illegal amounts of interest and are driving homeowners into losing their homes and sometimes to taking their own lives, do the witnesses not think that the public should be made aware?

There should be a publicity campaign to ensure the taxpayers of Ireland know that after being punished in this way to the tune of €65 billion and after the continuing bad behaviour of the banks, they are now going to be stuck with the bill for millions of euro for doing the dirty work of the vulture funds. The taxpayer will be paying for the evictions. I think that is an absolute moral scandal. I would welcome the view of the witnesses. Is it possible to get a publicity campaign to alert the taxpayers of Ireland to what is going to be done in their name? Chairman, do you want me to leave it at that question and come back to the others?