Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

This situation is urgent. There are hundreds of people in negative equity and facing the prospect of losing their homes. The Minister promised reform by last Easter, but we have not yet seen it. As well as the areas that have already been identified by Deputy Enright that urgently need reform, such as the 30 hour rule and the means test, does the Minister accept that the Government needs to look at putting in place a much more creative scheme to enable people to stay in their own homes when they have financial difficulties? Is she prepared to look at a scheme where the State might take an equity share in people's homes if they can no longer afford to make the repayments? Does she accept that the priority must be to enable people to stay in their own homes as far as possible? If so, what steps is she taking to make that happen?

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