Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé ag iarraidh a fháil amach ón Aire cén dul chun cinn atá déanta ó thaobh na cártaí seirbhísí poiblí, an méid daoine atá á n-úsáid agus na háiteanna ina bhfuil siad ar fáil. Iarraim ar an Aire ráiteas a dhéanamh. I support this Bill. Last year was the hundredth anniversary of the great 1913 Lock-out, the struggle for workers' rights. The previous year was the hundredth anniversary of the formation by James Connolly and Jim Larkin of an all-Ireland Labour Party. In a few short years, we will remember the sacrifice of James Connolly and his comrades in 1916. It is also 125 years since Michael Davitt initiated his Land League campaign against rack-renting absentee landlords. These were all movements for freedom, for rights, for independence and for self-determination for the Irish people, but now the Government is prepared to sell the roofs from over the heads of 13,000 people to the modern equivalent of rack-renting absentee landlords, namely, foreign vulture capitalists.

Some 13,000 former Irish Nationwide Building Society mortgage holders face the appalling vista of their mortgages being sold to foreign companies which are not subject to Irish regulation. These regulations were put in place to protect distressed mortgage holders. These mortgages are expected to be sold at huge discounts. Without the legislative protection, these companies will be able to squeeze former Irish Nationwide Building Society mortgage holders with increased interest rates, to repossess homes and to make obscene profits. Without this legal protection, these mortgage holders will be thrown to the wolves.

Three things must be done immediately. The Government must reverse its decision to sell these mortgages and instruct the IBRC liquidator to stop the sale. We must immediately pass legislation to protect these mortgage holders and, indeed, other mortgage holders who may face difficulties in the future. To promise legislation in 2015 is completely unacceptable and is simply closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Mortgage holders must be given the opportunity to bid for their own mortgages. Deputy Peter Mathews asked me to confirm to the House his support for this legislation.

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