Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

There is also a mortgage interest scheme under the supplementary welfare allowance system. The social welfare system is helping many people in difficulties. There is also the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, which has successfully been advising people for years. Statistics have been thrown about but the number of people who have lost their houses per capita is way below that in our neighbouring jurisdiction. While that is a statistic we must recognise that individuals and families are faced with the threat of repossession, having lost their jobs and being unable to pay their mortgages. They need help.

Respond! recently gave a presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service about how we should change our system in order to help and protect people. The presentation has been sent to the Department of Finance and deserves serious consideration. The Government could put many of its proposals into operation. The Law Reform Commission is also examining how to deal with debt repayments. We must consider all these studies in order to create a system that will help people who are in trouble.

In the programme for Government the Government has committed itself to introducing new measures to protect families having difficulty with their repayments. I urge the Government to immediately work on those propositions to allay the fears of people, many of whom will hopefully not lose their homes as the economy picks up. The Government should get a proper programme going to help those in trouble and offer light at the end of the tunnel. I think the banks recognise that repossessing homes and throwing people out on the highways and byways is not profitable for them. If the banks and building societies want to make a profit they should keep people in their houses. I will not enter any further philosophical discussion on that issue. I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion and to assure it that in principle I support it.

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