Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is a very interesting and important conversation to have. From dealing with these issues in my own area, I am aware of the high numbers of people who are going to moneylenders. It is key to our understanding of why people use this service that there is a community context to it and that the moneylenders know families well. That is why it is difficult to change things. The situation is different at the moment with the Covid crisis but the reality is that these moneylenders are sitting in people's kitchen and they know everything that is going on in people's lives.

MABS said recently that there is now a tsunami of household debt. I know from people who contact me that they are increasingly going to moneylenders.

This is in order to pay for different items and as a result of Covid they have seen costs increase or have a smaller income. Have the witnesses seen an increase with people moving towards moneylenders? It was put very well earlier that the major cost associated with moneylenders really traps people in debt. Is there a direct correlation between being trapped in debt and an impact on mental health?