Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Cheann Comhairle. This is my first time to speak during the Topical Issue debate. I do not like to raise the issue but I must do so. I said this morning to the Ceann Comhairle that the Christmas spirit prevailed when I was successful in having a matter selected for discussion during the Topical Issue debate, having submitted approximately 30 issues previously. However, there is no Christmas spirit outside the House, as will be evident from the issue I wish to raise.

It relates to a sad situation in Drangan, Thurles, County Tipperary. SOS Contractors, which is run by the White family, has been in business for four decades. They are not Johnny-come-latelies or newcomers to the business. They are honest, hardworking people - father, mother and four sons. They have given valuable employment and provided valuable services to farmers and others in County Tipperary, north and south, and beyond. On the night of 3 November, without notice of any kind, so-called agents of Bank of Ireland Finance called to the premises wearing hoodies in the dead of night. I call them nothing short of thugs. They were accompanied by gardaí, which is most shocking. They proceeded to break and enter into an adjoining property, travelled across two fields and upset stock, broke fences and removed a number of machines from the family's premises while covering CCTV cameras with strong lights. That is outrageous.

I have in my possession a tax clearance certificate issued by the tax office in Thurles to the family which is valid until 15 November 2012. The company's tax is up to date. The family does not have a problem with Bank of Ireland, which they deal with in Fethard, or in Clonmel. They never had a problem with the banking services offered there. However, what is going on in this country today is State terrorism, especially when the public, through the State, has such an interest in the pillar banks. I refer to the so-called pillar banks that we hold up as models which we wish to maintain in the future. We think we have got rid of all the bad ones. I compliment the ordinary, decent staff who work in those banks across the country, but those involved in this case are nothing short of cowboys. They have worked for promotion and received generous commissions. They try to trade on misery.

The family should have received notice or letters of intent. Two years previously they had tried to restructure their loans. In this case the machines that were taken were all from 2005, 2006 and 2007 and the payments on them were almost finished. I have a list of the payments made on them right up to September 2011. One payment for €5,000, which was made on 20 September, was in the possession of the bank but it still had not been cashed by 3 November. That is scandalous. There has been little communication and no explanation.

The machines were taken to Ganly Craigie for auction. The company holds big auctions which are widely advertised. I tell people to stay away from those auctions as they are buying people's misery. Those people no longer have the tools of the trade to carry out their work. What are they to do with their employees coming up to Christmas? This is a most awful situation visited on the family. The Black and Tans did not do such things. The landlords with their sheriffs coming in to evict people did not do it. These people came in the dead of night under the cover of gardaí who backed a paddy-wagon into the front of the family house and sat there for 40 minutes. The thugs did not identify themselves. To make matters worse, they were driving a repossessed jeep which did not have an NCT certificate or an insurance disc. The registration number was 08 CE 2982. It was stolen from elsewhere and is someone's else's misery. That was brought to the attention of the Garda who escorted the vehicle with five thugs inside it around the roads of County Tipperary for hours, from Drangan to Thurles to Littleton. This is appalling.

I am disappointed the Minister for Justice and Equality is not present. I have spoken to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, on what the banks are doing to people. The previous speaker, Deputy Timmins, referred to what we have to protect in Europe but if we cannot protect hard-working decent taxpayers and small private businesses we will have no country, no employment and no one to get us out of the mess.

See this speech in context