Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The key figure is 20. Two years on 20 of these transfers have taken place. There is huge potential in her portfolio for the Minister of State to do something about this. Based on what the Secretary General, Mr. John Moran, said and the legislation the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, is about to bring forward, we know that the number of repossessions is going to go up. Mr. Moran has stated he wants them at international levels; therefore, we know that the banks are going to be allowed to make many people homeless and the State will have to pick up the tab. There is a huge opportunity for us to have a win-win, whereby the State wins because it does not pay dead money to landlords and instead pays it on assets of which it has taken control, while the family get to stay in their house and the bank receives a secure amount. Is the Minister of State satisfied that, two years on, 20 transfers have taken lace? That is a somewhat loaded question, as I am sure she is not satisfied. What can she do to massively accelerate this process and engage with and force the banks to act? They may be telling her that they are engaging, but I guarantee her that, if she talks to the people dealing with these issues, they will say the vast majority of banks, with one or two good exceptions, are not doing anything.

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