Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to ask Dr. Cassidy about mortgages and the control the Central Bank has over them. A matter of frequent debate in my home is the couple paying rent of, say, €1,500 or €1,600 per month for a two-bedroom apartment, which they could buy with a 100% mortgage and service with €1,200 per month payments, leaving them with €300 per month in their pockets. Why are 100% mortgages not considered in cases where the mortgage repayment would be lower per month that the rental payment? I cite the example of a particular couple who have paid €97,000 in rent over the past seven years and who could have financed the property they are living in quite easily with that amount. I have been told that a return to 100% mortgages would be lunacy but I ask Dr. Cassidy to comment briefly on the matter.