Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister has not answered my question. I asked him whether he was satisfied with the pace of providing long-term sustainable solutions and, in particular, avoiding the danger that people would lose their homes in the coming months. We know that the rate of repossession has been ramped up. Last week the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform met representatives from agencies working on the front line with people in mortgage distress. To a person, they told us the system was not working. They were critical of the banks and the Government. Some were also critical of the target focused position that the banks had taken. On the face of it, the banks are reaching their targets, but the Minister is not telling the public that 21,000 of the 43,000 mortgage cases he cited involve legal letters or voluntary surrenders. I again ask him whether he is satisfied with the pace of provision of long-term solutions for people who want to stay in their houses. Between the four institutions in question, AIB, Ulster Bank, Permanent-TSB and Bank of Ireland, more than 50% of the actions taken to meet their proposed solution targets have involved either issuing legal letters threatening repossession or forcing homeowners to surrender voluntarily. These are family homes, not buy-to-let properties.

See this speech in context