Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for her views and assure her that I will convey them to the Minister. I repeat that for a lender to seek a court order to repossess the home of a mortgagor who has defaulted in repayments that should be a last resort where all other avenues to resolve the arrears situation have been exhausted. That is the context of the reply, namely, that it will be done as a last resort after everything else has been tried. Ultimately, the recourse, when it becomes absolutely necessary, that our legal system provides, and is seen to provide, are processes which work properly to give effect to a lender's age old right to repossess, as a very last resort, where there is a very serious default.