Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Is the Taoiseach aware of the difficulties being experienced by numerous people, including young first-time buyers, in closing house sales because of difficulties with various banks, the credit crunch and the collapse of several solicitors' businesses? In that context, does the Government propose to bring forward the financial services regulation Bill? Several of these entities, although acting as financial services agents and intermediaries, are not regulated. Considerable suffering is being caused to a growing number of first-time buyers and others selling houses and involved in a transaction chain because the title deeds and mortgages have not been cleared by banks.

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