Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I did not interrupt Deputy Paul Coghlan.

It would be important for the Government to assess what it can do to alleviate the difficulties experienced by some businesses such as banks, many exporting companies and service industries. If the Department does not have the resources to assess these business, it should engage with the representative organisations such as Chambers Ireland, ISME and IBEC, so they can do the work on behalf of the Department.

Will the Leader organise a debate for soon as possible on mortgage arrears? This matter has been bounced along for several years. I raised the matter in this House when I was on the other side but to no avail. Two Bills dealing with mortgage arrears have been introduced by Fianna Fáil which offered tangible solutions to the problem. When I was on the other side of the House, we all had to listen to Ministers, including current ones, talking about the systemic importance of the banks. When are we going to acknowledge the systemic importance of the people? In this morning's Irish Independent, Charlie Weston reported on suggestions of a non-judicial resolution process for mortgage arrears. While I would welcome such an approach, it cannot be in the banks' control. In his article, Charlie Weston speaks about people losing their family homes. That is not acknowledging the systemic importance of the people.

We cannot promote strategic defaulting. Having said that, we can take tangible measures to protect families in arrears. Will the Leader, who understands this issue, arrange an immediate debate on mortgage arrears with tangible resolutions to be introduced by the Government instead of report after report when, in the immortal words of Senator Barrett, the backstairs to the Department of Finance is very much open for the banks and the builders?