Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is no misrepresentation here. It is without doubt that the Minister negotiated an extension of the relief with the previous Administration. I have put quotes from the Minister on record. This is on the record of the Dáil. The Minister made the point that this was the best he could negotiate, although he wanted 100%. That is fact. It is not a misrepresentation. It might be difficult and embarrassing for him to have those comments relayed to him now, but I make the point because at that time when he was negotiating and calling for the measure, interest rates at the ECB were at a historical low. They were at 0%. Today they are at a historical high and the Minister has decided to lock 137,000 people out. The Minister shakes his head, but he cannot dispute rates are at a historical high. ECB rates are the highest they have ever been. The Minister is deciding to lock 137,000 people out of this scheme because their balance is less than €80,000, which makes no sense.

We are in here dealing in numbers, percentages and all that, but imagine a single mother is sitting over there. She is dealing with all the challenges she has with prices going up for fuel, electricity and food. Then she shows us her mortgage interest has gone up by €2,000 in the last year, but her balance is €75,000. All Government Deputies are saying to that single mother that she is on her own because they are about to abandon her, abandon her family and they are not going to support her. It is a very conscious decision that makes no sense whatsoever. As a one-off cost-of-living expense this is warranted, merited and should have been amended in this Bill.

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