Ms Niamh O'Donoghue:

Absolutely and we expect it to continue to improve in the coming years. The attachments facility has had a twofold impact. The fact that we have the facility to attach, whether to bank accounts or earnings, has been very significant and it is a power of influence over people to come to voluntary arrangements with us. In some instances, the fact that we said we had this power and would use it has encouraged people to come to an arrangement that has stopped short of our putting it in place. There are cases in which we are in the process of putting attachment orders in place. So far this year, 57 cases suitable for attachments have been referred for consideration in the Department and engagement is happening in most of these cases. Final demands have issued in only 12 of these cases, ten for attachment of earnings and two for attachment to amounts held in financial institutions. In six of the 12 cases people have begun to repay their debts or approached us with acceptable payments to do so. In the other six we are moving to the next stage of putting the attachment procedures in place.