Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform
Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: Discussion
5:10 pm
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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From what I know about Mr. Burgess, which is only through hearing him on the media, I suspect he believes in capitalism red in tooth and claw. How can he say that a sustainable solution is an interest only situation for a worker on the average wage who was blackmailed by the extortion that was happening in housing mortgages? These people wanted a house to start a family or for whatever reason. If a 35 year old worker still owes €200,000 at 5% interest, the repayments will be €10,000 per annum. He or she will be enslaved to the bank for the next 30 years while paying nothing but mortgage interest. At the end of the 30 year period, he or she will still face this millstone. For heaven's sake, how is that sustainable as a human solution?