Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I did not just mention bank repossessions and the bank veto, they were the main part of the question I put to the Taoiseach, but he chose to ignore them until the very end of his reply. The statistics revealed yesterday showed there were more than 586 repossessions since January, and 383 of those related to homes. We know from research by Professor Seamus Coffey in UCC that 1,000 court-enforced repossessions have taken place already. We also know that 8,000 civil bills are before the courts as we speak. It is not good enough to say that the banks only take people to court so that they will engage in the process. Banks take people to court because they load the trigger and they can pull the trigger whenever they want. It puts the person who holds the mortgage in an impossible position and causes enormous distress and anxiety. I have dealt with cases where people had engaged. The Taoiseach takes the side of the banks at all times, as does the Minister for Finance. The Taoiseach is doing it again today.

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