Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This occasion is poignant for me because it might be my last chance to speak in the House before Christmas. I have to say how genuinely I admire my the stubborn colleague in the House because, for me, this is probably the most significant legislation we will have passed in the past five years and there has been some powerful legislation enacted in that time. I am very grateful to Deputy Willie Penrose for tenacity and stubbornness which have ensured the Bill is before us in order that we can vote on it.

We have had discussions on this issue before. As a Deputy for the past five years, one of the most difficult things I have had to do on behalf of constituents is deal with banks, the left arm of which does not know what the right arm is doing. I am being gracious in saying this because some of the more sinister elements of the activities of banks in some cases are tantamount to illegality. One State-owned bank will be before the Circuit Court on 26 January to deal with allegations that it hired private investigators and illegally bought information from State bodies. Some of their activities are despicable. The Bill will give people an opportunity to have some breathing space to take care of their debts. They are probably in debt through no fault of their own. I do not often agree with Deputy Peter Mathews, but I agree with what he said today. It does not matter what the cause of the debt is; what matters is that the outcome for everybody and what is wanted by Members of this House is recovery. This legislation will give tens of thousands of people an opportunity to seek recovery and I wholeheartedly commend it. I say, "Well done," to Deputy Willie Penrose.

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