Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I rise to condemn the immoral move by the banks to remove tracker mortgages from homeowners in difficulty. One of the conditions of the mortgage arrears resolution process, MARP, is that a person's tracker mortgage cannot be touched. I would like to know from the Minister for Finance what such homeowners will get in return. What is next? How safe are other people's tracker mortgages if this precedent is being set? It is critical that the Minister, Deputy Noonan, intervene and make a statement on how homeowners with tracker mortgages are to be protected.

On the special needs issue, the Minister, Deputy Quinn, is faced with an enormous challenge. We must work together. The Minister will have to find a way of meeting the needs of special needs children within existing resources. We must ensure that all children get a fair crack at education.