Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

What is needed is for both sides to come together and an agreement to be reached in which there is some payment and some attempt to address the debt. That can be done. As I stated, I met personal insolvency practitioners at some length, together with representatives of the Insolvency Service of Ireland. There is more that we can do. One step we can take is to re-examine the period of bankruptcy in the State. The periods in other countries are lower and that seems to be more successful in facilitating negotiations between the two parties to reach an agreement.

See this speech in context