Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach. Senators do not often get a chance to ask questions of the Taoiseach, even though I am the Vice Chairman of the committee that is responsible for his own Department. Much of the work of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach has dealt with the banks and their behaviour. I refer in particular to the tracker mortgage issue, non-performing loans, and IT issues - we have been dealing with those lately. What is the Taoiseach's view of the potential sale by Allied Irish Bank, AIB, of a chunk of non-performing loans to vulture funds? If these loans are transferred and then repossessed, many more people with be presenting to local authorities and other bodies looking for housing. Is there any joined up thinking on this? Does it make sense for us, as a 74% shareholder in AIB and PTSB, to be selling these loans and then having to rehouse people while the vulture funds seem to be making money at the overall expense of the State?