Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill, parts of which are a no-brainer. Many people in this country are receiving notice to quit letters from banks which are moving to sell buy-to-let properties. We need to introduce a law in this country so that this does not continue to happen. In my opinion, many of the banks involved are scum. Yesterday in County Roscommon a group of 20 or 30 men with dogs came from the North, aided and abetted by An Garda Síochána who blocked off two roads. The group of men pegged three people, two of whom were elderly, out of a house and left them on the side of the road. They were aided and abetted by An Garda Síochána, which is disgraceful. Irish people need to wake up, especially if people are coming from the North. We must take them on and stop what is happening.

Regarding the mortgage to rent scheme, I have previously highlighted the fact that county councils are refusing applications because the properties involved are "too rural". Housing agencies are writing to local authorities seeking approval for mortgage to rent applications and being refused. The Department needs to tidy this up because it suggests that people in rural Ireland do not deserve to have a house or to qualify for the mortgage to rent scheme. That is the message from councils and the Department to people who are in mortgage distress at the moment.

Certainly there are elements of this Bill about which I would have concerns. However, as with all other legislation, the Bill can proceed to Committee Stage and be amended and improved. No Bill is perfect on day one and all legislation must be teased out in committee. Deputies will be concerned with different elements of the Bill but everyone in the House agrees that problems arise when the banks move in on buy-to-let properties. We must make it tough on the banks in particular because they are getting ruthless at this stage. What will happen when the next set of statistics is published? We will see that more and more people are without a home and more properties are vacant. These issues have been aired in this House for two or more years but the Government has done nothing about them.

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