Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister will agree that with only 72 personal insolvency practitioners operating, the service is wholly inadequate. If one averages that out across the counties of Ireland, that amounts to only three personal insolvency practitioners per county. There are approximately 120,000 mortgages in arrears of more than 90 days and there is another large cohort of people who are struggling with personal debt. Red C published some interesting statistics in StubbsGazette recently, which estimated that up to 25,000 people will seek to avail of the service. It is wholly inadequate.

When the service went live the number of personal insolvency practitioners was extremely low. There are now 72 practitioners registered. What does the Minister intend to do to incentivise more people to become personal insolvency practitioners? As with the old adage, 'justice delayed is justice denied', if people cannot get this service, their problems will not be resolved. It was reported on news bulletins this morning that AIB has come to an arrangement with the Irish Mortgage Holders Association whereby a parallel type debt solution system will operate, outside of the personal insolvency legislation. It will be an independent arbitration process. Will the Minister indicate what he intends to do - assuming he can do something - to increase the number of personal insolvency practitioners in the country?

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