Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Less than a month ago, on 21 September, Aviva issued this statement: "Aviva is committed to Ireland, where we have had a business for over 100 years." Today, we find out that 950 employees are to be let go. Quite a number of those employees work in Knocknacarra, Galway. I would like the company to think of its employees and their families. Aviva still wants the people to buy insurance from it and for that it should show loyalty to the people who work for the company. I request the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton to write to all the companies in the country who trade here about the manner in which they deal with employees and give notice of redundancy. The very least people deserve is forward planning and time. I am not at all happy with the manner in which Aviva has treated its employees.

Second, I wish to raise the issues of helping people with mortgages to hold on to their homes. Yesterday, New Beginnings and others who are proposing solutions to help people keep their homes made a very interesting presentation to members in the AV room. I am quite disgusted with some of the proposals in the Keane report, which I think is fit for no more that 5% to 10% of people who cannot be helped in any way. The majority can benefit from some forward planning and restructuring, and avail of non-court based approaches. That is the reason I did not support the Bill from the other side of the House. We need solutions that do not rely on the courts. New Beginnings and others have made great proposals. We need to show leadership in this House. We must have a debate in the Chamber. I ask the Leader to invite Deputy Michael Noonan, the Minister for Finance, a good man who can empathise with others, to listen to other solutions, besides the Keane report, that will help people to keep their homes. The Keane report is not an adequate response and it is letting us down. We are far better than that. Will the Leader consider also a means to facilitate whereby those who come up with other solutions can be heard in this House? That would be a brave new step for this House. We must help people to hold on to their jobs but most especially to hold on to their homes.