Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to tease that out. I was not trying to be smart when I was referring to evictions because repossessions are disturbing regardless of whether they are voluntary. We can be sure that voluntary means something different from the defined term or what it means in the real world than for the people concerned. These people took the view when they voluntarily gave back their keys to the bank that they had no other choice. This is what I want to get to the root of. There is always another choice. What were the alternative options that the bank would have given these people? Although some of these people may not have paid the bank since 2007 the position is that someone needs to be offered a sustainable solution. In the absence of being able to afford that sustainable solution, then and perhaps only then a legal route is something that can be embarked upon. The representatives of the bank seem to be indicating that there was nothing really on offer to these people other than the fact that they had not paid the bank or engaged. That is what I am asking. What did the bank offer these people other than volunteering or giving their keys back?