Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Following on from this week and last week, I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate on mortgage interest rates. Last week I raised the issue of the ICS Building Society and Bank of Ireland raising their variable rate by 0.5% to an average of 4.490%. Yesterday, AIB raised its variable rate by 0.5% to just over 4%. These are significant increases for mortgage holders. I have referred to the worsening mortgage crisis on numerous occasions, about which all of us are concerned. We know the Government does not have a magic wand but we can do much better. People are under ferocious pressure. I will not propose an amendment to the Order of Business, as I did last week. The position is getting out of hand. People with variable mortgages are being crucified by the banks to pay for the losses on tracker mortgages. There are other solutions that can be used. In view of the urgency of the matter I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate next week on mortgages with the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Brian Hayes, or the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan.

I draw to the attention of the House some new information. As a representative for Dublin North I am concerned at the ongoing situation in regard to primary health care centres, specifically in Balbriggan, and the manner in which the site was selected. Balbriggan needs a primary care centre, about which there is no question. It has the second highest rate of unemployment in Dublin. It has a large percentage of new Irish people in the community and has integration problems. However, that is not the issue.

I am tired of listening to the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, using the people of Balbriggan as a human shield. He said the people of Balbriggan were insulted. I was in Balbriggan last night. The people there are worried that they will lose the primary care centre because of the manner in which the Minister has gone about his work on their behalf. The Minister should publish the criteria he used in selecting Balbriggan for a primary care centre. I stand over the selection of Balbriggan for such a centre. However, it has come to my attention that as far back as 2002 in the Balbriggan south east Castlelands local area plan, the county council had handed over land in Balbriggan for a primary care centre for free to the Health Service Executive for the development of a health care centre in Castlelands in Balbriggan which is much better served by way of roadway and parking facilities than the site now selected. It was further reconfirmed in 2006 that the site, adjacent to Pinewood Estate and Castlelands in Balbriggan, was given for free by the local authority to the HSE. This was reaffirmed in two local area plans and a county development plan.