Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)

I thank the Technical Group for allowing me time to speak on this very important matter. As the Members on the Government benches well know, I am not a critic of the Government. I support it when I believe it is doing the right thing and going in the right direction. I am not a knocker for the sake of it. I welcome the report, therefore, even though in my opinion and that of many others it falls short in a number of regards. At the same time, it shows the Government is genuinely committed and is trying to address this horrible situation, namely, the many thousands of people who struggle daily to pay the banks the enormous sums of money they owe every month. I am aware of families which go without heat and the other bare essentials to meet their loan repayments. I do not have a monopoly in this regard because those who fill the other 165 seats in this Chamber are dealing with this matter on a daily basis. This is probably one of the greatest problems with which Members of these Houses and county councillors throughout the country are trying to come to grips. Young families and others are approaching their local politicians seeking information on what they can do in order to honour their commitments to their banks.

Irish people are extremely proud and sincere. When they borrow money, they want to repay their debts to the best of their ability. People are heartbroken because they are struggling to try to pay back the enormous loans they took out. For as long as I live, I will never forgive the bankers and developers who led those to whom I refer up the garden path by allowing them to believe that it was acceptable to borrow €300,000 or €400,000 in order to purchase property. These are ordinary working people who earn average wages and they will be saddled with enormous debts for the remainder of their lives.

It would be an awfully poor politician who would come before the House and criticise a Government that is trying to address this issue. The Government, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, in particular, need us to be both supportive and positive. We must work towards one objective, namely, assisting those who are struggling on a daily basis. There is nothing more terrible than to be visited at one's clinic by a young man and a young woman and to be informed about the horrendous difficulties they are experiencing. People such as those to whom I refer are trying to raise their children in the best way possible but they are in dire circumstances as a result of a lack of cash.

I welcome the advent of the mortgage to rent schemes. These will provide a solution whereby people will at least retain the dignity of remaining in their homes. It does not make economic sense for banks to put people out of their houses - and sell them on at much reduced prices - because those individuals then have to be rehoused by their local authorities. No one should be obliged to leave his or her home because he or she is not in a position to make mortgage repayments. As previous speakers indicated, the banks should, in conjunction with the relevant Departments, make arrangements on a case by case basis. That is the correct way to proceed, particularly as there is no one-size-fits-all approach in respect of this matter.

I accept that there may be an extremely small minority of what might be termed "rogue" borrowers. However, the majority of individuals are sincere and want to repay their loans at a rate they can afford. That is why the banks will be obliged to work with people. I accept that there may be circumstances in which banks may have to take houses back but they should allow people to remain in them. I say this because, regardless of whether they live in rural or urban areas, people are connected to their neighbours and their communities, their children attend local schools and they do not want to move elsewhere. As already stated, I welcome the mortgage to rent schemes but issues relating to them should be teased out further.

I welcome the debate on the report of the interdepartmental working group on mortgage arrears. However, as is the case with every report that is ever published, I am sure those on the Government benches would like it to be tweaked in a number of ways. No one on the opposite side of the Chamber is going to state that the report represents the answer to all our problems. Of course it is not the answer to all our problems but it represents a step in the right direction. I am of the opinion that further deliberation will be required in respect of the mortgage interest supplement scheme.

The banks are going to be obliged to play their part because, after all, we own them. The branch managers who are dealing with the type of young couples to whom I refer are, as far as I am concerned, in charge of nothing. We should be issuing directions to the banks and informing them that we all live in this country, that we want to help those who are in trouble and that we must work together to identify solutions that will suit individual cases. I reiterate that I do not want people - regardless of whether they are young, in middle age or old - to live under the threat of being obliged to leave their homes. We had enough of that in the past when a great many individuals were put out of their houses. I do not want to live in a country in which people can be evicted from their homes. We should identify a solution whereby citizens can retain their dignity. Irish people are extremely proud and they do not want to be left at the side of the road and obliged to seek alternative accommodation.

We must work together in a positive fashion. For my part, I will make a constructive contribution at every possible opportunity. I will continue to work not only in my constituency but also elsewhere. We will all be obliged to put our shoulders to the wheel in respect of this very important issue. We can only hope that sensible approaches will be adopted and that people will pull together to find a solution that will help everyone. I commend those who have contributed to this debate so far. I am aware that every Member of the House is genuine in his or her commitment to wanting to assist those who are in trouble at present. I again thank the Technical Group and the Ceann Comhairle for making it possible for me to contribute to the debate.

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