David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will speak on amendment No. 28. I share the concerns expressed by Senator Byrne. To be fair, I acknowledge the previous contribution by the Minister in which he clearly set out the balance he is trying to strike between the debtor and the creditor, what we are dealing with here and the various types of debtors. I also concur with his comments about how different people find themselves in debt and their circumstances. I am mindful of that when discussing these amendments. However, I have a difficulty with the limit of ¤1,200 on the value of the car. It is most unfair. It is neither appropriate nor realistic. The types of vehicle that would have that value are the types the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport would want see off the road. They would not be roadworthy. We propose a value of ¤3,000, which is more realistic. How was the value of ¤1,200 arrived at? Were there discussions with the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, for example? It is a very low threshold. I am deeply conscious of what the Minister said earlier about balance and about the fact that the creditors who are owed money are very often people on low incomes themselves, but in trying to strike the balance I do not believe the Minister has arrived at a realistic figure in this instance. The figure of ¤3,000 proposed in the amendment is more realistic given the value of cars.