Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to correct the record again. The information that was available to me from my departmental officials is that the case was before the courts, but I accept what you have said, a Cheann Comhairle. I agree that an issue arises in terms of the code of conduct on mortgage arrears. I will not refer to the particular case at hand but every Deputy in the House deals with lenders and financial institutions. The code of conduct of those financial institutions has been strengthened by Deputy Michael McGrath's Act, which puts the onus on the lender. It is important that lenders engage with customers regardless of the state the loan is in or at. I do not refer to any specific loan. As public representatives, we all make interventions with lending agencies to accept the bona fides of our constituents. When customers nominate an Oireachtas Member to deal with their account, in my experience 99 times out of 100 the lending institution accepts that. It is important for every financial institution in the State to accept that when Patrick O'Donovan or whoever else nominates an Oireachtas Member, for argument's sake let us say Deputy Michael Moynihan, then the financial institution should accept that and should engage with the Oireachtas Member and at least speak to him or her. That is just good manners and it is in keeping with the code of conduct on mortgage arrears. I wish to make it very clear that I am not speaking to any specific loan or mortgage, but given everything that we have gone through, it would be only good manners for a financial institution to engage with my two colleagues. I hope whoever nominates somebody to speak to the bank on their behalf, whether that is a personal insolvency practitioner, PIP, a solicitor or a mere mortal Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas, that the financial institution will accept that.

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