Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I respect fully what the Cathaoirleach is saying. The protection that was previously afforded to those in mortgage arrears has been removed.

My next point may be more in order. We talk about supervision and enforcement in the Bill and we would like the banks to co-operate. Banks refer consistently to co-operating and non-co-operating borrowers. Has Government, or the Central Bank, set out a definition of "non-co-operating bank"? In the new code of conduct, all power is vested in the banks and the Government has not taken into account the need for an independent mortgage appeals office, as called for by many, to take matters out of the remit of the banks, which did such damage to the country. When one adds the figures for those in arrears of 90 days or more, those in arrears of 30 to 90 days and those who have had their mortgages restructured, one sees that 20% of all mortgages in the State are in distress. While Central Bank supervision and enforcement, which is the subject matter of the Bill, are very important, we have taken the legs from under citizens who are paying for the very banks that ruined the economy. I am wrong about many things, but not on this.