Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

What laws will the Government introduce to deal with what happened yesterday in Limerick where 12 workers face losing their jobs and 64 men who are living in a hotel as refugees have been evicted from their homes of long standing? On page 29 of A Programme for a Partnership Government, there is a commitment to provide greater protection for mortgage holders and tenants whose loans fall into the hands of vulture funds. Here we have the most vulnerable tenants that one could possibly think about in this country: people in direct provision. They were being given refuge by one arm of the State, whose loans were sold by another arm of the State, NAMA. It is a quite incredible situation. What is the Government going to do about these vulture funds getting their hands on, in this case, a State service for the most vulnerable? What happens to workers in these situations? The Government talks about protecting businesses but says nothing about workers whose loans fall into the lap of vulture funds as well. There are 12 people unemployed. Is this the great service the Minister, Deputy Noonan, was talking about the vultures doing?

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