Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I reiterate that one is endeavouring to bring the lender into a process whereby the lender has to make certain accommodations with the borrower. In most cases, a borrower will get into difficulty over quite a period of time and it does not tend to occur instantly. The measure is an effort to ensure that the lender engages in the process.

Senator Byrne asked what expertise was available to the Government. The Department funds the Money Advice and Budgeting Service whose money advisers are located around the country. Many of these advisers are expert and very helpful to individuals in negotiating-----