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

I thank our visitors for the useful information they have given us and assure them of a steady stream of communications from the Members of the Houses who have been dealing with these situations with a lot of frustration for a long number of years. It should be remembered we have had situations in which financial houses have appeared on the doorsteps of widows when they came home from work to put the pressure on them. Now there is a continuation of that in that where the loans were sold on, receivership is used regularly to intimidate the customer further, and the bank or the receiver now appears almost daily to harass anybody living in the house at the time. I am therefore glad to hear the witnesses say they have instruments to deal with that kind of situation.

The last point I will make has been raised by the Chairman, namely. politically exposed people. I do not know where the politically exposed politicians are. I know this legislation emerged in Italy, where a politician was facilitating money laundering. To do that, the person has to be in a position where there is a considerable cash flow. Cash flow is the secret. We know where those people operate and how they operate, but I cannot for the life of me understand how they expect politicians to be used in a cash flow situation because we are very strictly - and correctly - monitored as to what we can and cannot do, as is the entire family.