Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Minister's point that it generally works out but there are exceptions to that. I am not certain whether we can adequately deal with those exceptions. There are numerous cases involving properties that were repossessed by the lending institution up to ten years ago and then left idle. They have now been sold on to an investor which will move into top gear to dispose of the property regardless of what might be the consequences for the original borrower, who is considerably out of pocket, obviously, because the debt has accumulated over the period. The borrower may not be well treated by the agents of the financial institution who are now dealing with him or her. This applies to ordinary home borrowers and business people who find themselves in the position.

As elected public representatives, we are not shrinking violets and we will certainly take on the institutions. However, there is a little whiff of arrogance developing in that the institutions believe they have the right to do what they have the right to do. In other words, we should realise that they are in business and this is what they do for a living. That is fair enough but I have concerns about how they do that particular part of their job. Would it be possible to encourage them to have regard for the personal circumstances of the people concerned and the extent to which their lives have been affected by the failure of the banking system to look after their interests when this began ten or 12 years ago and the whole thing fell off the screen? I am not blaming anybody for allowing that to happen. However, it should not follow that somebody makes a killing from buying somebody else's difficulties. It should not automatically follow that these institutions can make a major coup out of somebody's distress.