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

Deputy Barry suggested this should not happen. Does he not understand what he was talking about when he referred to the Personal Insolvency Act? What does he think happens in these arrangements put forward by the personal insolvency practitioners, PIPs? Does he think that no debt is written down as part of these arrangements? Does he think that no debts are written down in cases of bankruptcy? Honest to God, it is very difficult to listen to a Government Deputy coming in here to strike down a Bill . Deputy McGrath is to be commended because the Bill is a genuine effort to deal with a crisis in Irish society. It is important that Members bring forward initiatives to deal with this systemic issue. The figures for long-term arrears speak for themselves. We are not even talking about the 90-day category; we are now talking about the two-year category and 37,000 families are in that situation with each of them wondering when the letter will drop through the letter box.

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