Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is very disingenuous to make those very valid points but then to support the Bill. The reality is that the Government has not grasped the dire situation in the market. One in four households, 180,000 in total, is in mortgage distress. These are real families who need to be taken care of and it is our job, as legislators, to ensure they are taken care of. There is no point in making heartfelt speeches and then supporting a Bill that will hammer them once more.

The banking veto is disgraceful and puts people under more pressure. As Senator Hayden mentioned, we have called for an independent body that would force the banks to accept reasonable arrangements on a case-by-case basis. We must oppose the Bill if we are to do the right thing by the people. We need to stand up for the people and oppose the Bill.