Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)

The Private Members' motion tabled by Deputy Enright offers an opportunity to reflect on the more human aspect of the perilous financial situation in which the country finds itself. It is an effort to provide practical support to people who are finding this period extremely difficult.

During the last significant recession in the 1980s, the critical issue was Ireland's national debt which ultimately focused all minds on finding a solution. This time round, the factors are significantly different. Debt has in essence been transferred from the State to the citizen. Personal debt in the form of credit card repayments, car loans, personal loans, hire purchase agreements and mortgages comes to hundreds of billions of euro. The State, through its Government, must support its people to ultimately support itself.

Similarities in the treatment of customers can be drawn between how we purport to run our public service and what has happened with our banking system. Historically, a bank manager was a community's counterbalance, between those that had money to lodge and those that required a loan. With the wisdom of Solomon, he adjudicated on what was put before him. The system worked reasonably well for nearly 200 years, with the odd hiccup on occasion.

However, in the past ten years, when an individual's car loan or a mortgage was approved, it was packaged up with many others to be sent off to Wall Street, London or the Docklands Financial Services Centre where somebody bet on the person's ability to pay the loan back. This dehumanising of the process has placed us in the current economic position in which we find ourselves.

With this in mind, it is only correct the Government should act by implementing this motion's proposals in the redeployment of social welfare staff and the creation of legislation to address a matter that will become more prominent. As a matter of urgency the Government must reallocate social welfare staff. A Civil Service that is responsive to the needs of the people is required. It is not acceptable for families to have to wait up to 16 weeks for welfare payments because of a shortage in staff to deal with claims.

More than 9,616 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement, an increase of 134% over the number in receipt of this payment at the end of 2007, will become a time bomb for the Government. Young couples and individuals are stretched on 25, 30 or 35-year mortgages with repayments of up to €2000 a month. The loss of one job in such a household would have catastrophic consequences. Any reduction in salary places an enormous strain. Yet the new code on mortgage arrears does not sufficiently protect borrowers and fails to include any sanctions for breaches of the code. The moratorium agreed by the banks and the Government must be monitored carefully in light of disagreements between the parties on its length.

The introduction on the website of the Department of Social and Family Affairs reads, "Our mission is to promote a caring society through income and other support services, enabling active participation in society, promoting social inclusion and supporting families". While such words are fine, it is the manner in which the mission is implemented that is key. The modest proposals in this motion would go some way towards addressing the imbalances people are experiencing in this regard.

See this speech in context