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

I am not sure if the Minister is aware of this, but the crisis has not gone away. In the dying months of the Government's term of office, 98,137 people are in mortgage arrears. Croke Park could not hold the principal of all of the households where the mortgage on the family home is in arrears. Reports indicate that 4,440 requests for repossession were made to the Courts Service in the first nine months of 2015, of which 3,638 were related to family homes. The number of repossession orders granted is also increasing. In 2013 the figure stood at 244. By 2014 it had increased to 644 and for first nine months of 2015 stood at 1,088. These figures reflect an increase of more than 400% in two years and refer solely to orders that have been granted. Individuals and families have also been pressed to sign on the dotted line, thereby surrendering their homes voluntarily because they do not have any other option. The weakening by the Government of the code of conduct on mortgage arrears and its introduction of repossession provisions within the framework of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act allow the banks to do what they are doing. What does the Minister propose to do to protect the 3,638 individuals who have their cases before the courts knocked back every so often and are in fear of losing their family homes? What does he propose to do to protect the 98,000 families who are in mortgage arrears?

See this speech in context