Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

About this time in Liverpool today there is a remembrance of the Hillsborough disaster. We all remember that and maybe we should bow our heads to remember that terrible, horrific tragedy. It was 25 years ago today. Some 20 years ago this past week was the genocide in Rwanda where innocents were slaughtered. Today I have a meeting with UNICEF about the education programme I was part of a year and a half ago in Rwanda. I raise this because it is important we remember so we do not repeat.

On Saturday I had meetings all day on debt in Galway with David Hall and the Grant Thornton team working with him. We held approximately 65 one-to-one meetings with people who are deeply worried, and it is like a silent death in their families. I have been thinking about it since. The banks have had a strategy to wear down people. There are now worn down. Up to 50% of the people we met could face repossession or bankruptcy. The Government should not stand idly by and let the banks continue to wear down people by not communicating with them. This is a serious issue. The banks pump out computer-generated letter after letter. The clients communicate with the banks but there is no acknowledgement of their communication for months. There needs to be a person in the banks who will link-up with people. The Minister for Finance must hear this story. The real Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, must come to the House on this issue.

We also need a team or facility to provide a second opinion before people's homes are repossessed. I ask the Cathaoirleach to think about this. People will be put out on the streets and the State must find them housing. We have a housing crisis. The State will have to fund their rent allowance. If there was proper communication between the banks and the individuals an arrangement could be put in place to help them hold onto their homes-----