Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

If it is helpful to the Deputies I will outline the process, briefly. They may be aware there is a code of conduct on mortgage arrears. Those of the Deputies who may have attended the very good free legal aid centres, FLAC, conference on this issue recently, or people who have worked in debt settlement, will know one must get the lenders to engage. At present, we are paying more than €50 million a year in interest to the banks. If the Department of Social Protection, which is very hard-pressed for money, is giving the banks more than €50 million a year, we are entitled to ask - and so am I, as Minister - that for this we should get engagement. That is how one does business with banks.

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