Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I want Deputy Martin to understand that the mortgage arrears sub-committee has met six times in the last six or eight weeks to push this through to a conclusion. The legislation will be published and the details will be provided on Friday. I want to make it perfectly clear that this is not about people who cannot pay - it is about people who will not pay. The lenders do not have to wait for the legislation to be implemented before they start to sit down with their customers and borrowers to work out solutions. If the banks respond to the Keane report by actually pushing through the options and facilities that will be made available to them, the need for the personal insolvency legislation to be used will be greatly diminished. The statutory instrument mentioned by Deputy Martin arises from people entering into the mortgage arrears process within the Keane report. It is for that reason that the Minister initiated the statutory instrument. That will proceed.

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