Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

On the health governance Bill, on which a great deal of work has been done, while I expect it will be published towards the end of this session I cannot confirm that because there are a range of troublesome issues which need to be sorted out.

On the personal insolvency Bill, the press conference today was merely to inform the people and media that the Government has approved the personal insolvency Bill. I set out at that briefing a schedule of what will happen. As stated by the Deputy, it is not a matter of ticking only one box. This is a radical departure from anything that has been done before in terms of personal insolvency and the mortgage situation. The Ministers for Justice and Equality and Finance and Minister of State with responsibility for housing will publish the Bill on Friday and will engage in a questions and answers session with interested parties. They will also give a presentation on the complex detail of what is involved. With the agreement of the Whips, I expect the Bill will be brought before the House as early as possible. We may have to adjust our timetable and to sit later to get through Second Stage, to which I am sure everyone will want to contribute. However, we can discuss that matter later in a rational fashion.

I do not expect that the Bill will be implemented until at least the start of the next session. It will not be possible to complete Second Stage quickly given the need to take all Members' views into account. I believe the best we can hope for, in terms of enactment of that legislation, is October. However, much depends on the reaction of Members following publication of the Bill. In addition, establishment of the personal insolvency advisory service will require the deployment and training of personnel from Departments to deal with the issues involved. We will also have to develop a website for the personal insolvency and mortgage advisory service, which will be operated through the Money Advice and Budgeting Service and the Minister for Social Protection, which cannot be done until the detail of what the banks are offering in terms of options and alternatives and full detail of the Bill have been explained to the people.

See this speech in context