Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

This is connected because we had a useful discussion about default as opposed to compliance. If, for instance, people in default are the subject of court proceedings, which they might well be, the Bill has several provisions such as section 207 making it possible for institutions that are not compliant to have their cases heard in camera, with the agreement of the judge. I am not a lawyer but where would we be if we did not have the information from the judges in the High and Supreme Courts about the Zoe hearings? I do not understand the thinking behind the in camera hearings. I told the Minister for Finance that his concession last Thursday night on Committee Stage to address the question of quarterly reports is a significant improvement on his previous position. If the Green Party was involved in persuading him of that it is to be congratulated.

If the hearing for a defaulter is held in camera we will never know about it. Family law proceedings are held in camera for good reason and we do not receive much generalised information on those proceedings. That is a difficult issue for many people.

See this speech in context