Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

Senators Healy Eames, O'Toole, MacSharry, Coffey and Buttimer expressed strong views on the difficulties being experienced by home owners, particularly those who have lost their jobs. The banks and the Government must play a part and I support the calls for assisting those who are on the margins. Home owners with good track records should be given extensions to their mortgages and allowed to suspend payments while they are unemployed. Financial agencies have to act responsibly towards people who have good track records and if there are hardship cases, we as public representatives should use our good offices to assist those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. I have a friend whose mortgage repayments decreased from €1,400 last September to €1,020 this month because interest rates are at a historic low. However, interest rates are irrelevant if somebody has lost his or her job. I have no difficulty in allocating time to discuss this issue in minute detail with the Minister for Finance prior to the summer recess.

Senators Healy Eames and Bacik spoke about the adoption challenges faced by many parents, particularly those who are affected by the negotiations on a bilateral agreement with Vietnam. The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children has informed the House that he is doing everything he can in this regard. I will discuss with him how we can make progress on the issue.