Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate being in a position to support the Bill. It is very worthwhile to bring it before the Dáil. Why is it that people in a vulnerable position are being blackguarded in the way that they have been without being consulted? Why do they see big businesses coming along and buying up the loans which means they end up in properties owned by a group of people who have millions? It is inherently wrong. It is very disappointing that the Government will not support the Bill because it is exactly what it should be doing. Every person in the House should support it. There are big write-downs for everybody. There were write-downs for people who owed millions of euro. Why is it different when ordinary, honest-to-God couples find themselves in financial difficulty? If the institutions are going to sell off loans to vulture funds and people like that at a write-down, why is the write-down not given to people who are in the house? Why can they not go away and get a loan for a lesser amount of money than what it was originally and stay in their family home at an affordable price that they can pay? That is why I support Sinn Féin in what it is doing here. It is very worthwhile. It is wrong that not everybody is supporting it. I know the Minister has to look at everything but I do not see why he does not support the Bill because it is worthwhile.

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