Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The tax affairs of any company are open to pursuit by the Revenue Commissioners and if the Deputy has information that he needs to bring to the attention of the Revenue Commissioners, I recommend that he do so. There is no doubt that the Revenue Commissioners have enhanced powers - every year we enhance their powers - and they will pursue any company that is abusing its position. The wider issue of people with mortgage difficulties has been very much on the Government agenda and a great deal of work has been put in, both legislatively and otherwise, to seek to protect people and give them the option of remaining in their homes even though they are in very difficult financial situations. This week, the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Social Protection have brought further proposals to Government to enhance and integrate that service so that the services of MABS, the Insolvency Service of Ireland, the legal advice scheme that was set up in the past and the various codes of practice would be delivered in a more effective way to clients who need that support.

The sad situation is that many people who could access these supports have not come forward to do that, whether for reasons of fear or not knowing what is available. In order to deal with that, there has been an effort by Government to ensure that, for example, at repossession cases, the Insolvency Service and MABS would be represented so that they could intervene to support people who are at risk and have not had access to the support services that are available.

Further, one of the issues we have sought to develop has been the mortgage to rent scheme as an alternative for people who might be at risk. That, as many would recognise, has not been the success that it ought to have been and that again is being looked at afresh by the Minister for housing, planning and local government, Deputy Coveney, in the context of an action plan for housing.

The Government is acutely conscious of the needs of vulnerable people who are in this situation and we are seeking to develop more effective services, both legal and otherwise. As Deputies know, under the insolvency courts, financial institutions can no longer block an agreement that has been developed by a practitioner in this sphere. The courts can be used to overturn resistance by a lender to giving approval to a reasonable deal.

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