Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I call for an urgent debate on the issue of repossessions. As far back as 2008, when I was on the Government side of the House, I commenced the debate on the need to prepare for this issue. Senator Byrne and I put forward the Family Home Bill in July 2011 in an effort to afford some level of support and protection to the family home. On that occasion, the Bill was voted down by just three votes. Since then, in both the Dáil and the Seanad, we put forward the Mortgage Resolution Bill 2013. The Insolvency Service of Ireland has had such a fantastic impact that it has done just 199 deals for people to deal with their debts since it was established in 2013. It is interesting to look at the number of repossession orders in Limerick last Friday, which was 208. We have facilitated a situation where the foxes are permitted to ravage the henhouse, with the full support and assistance of the Government of the day.

As Members might be aware, Deputy Michael McGrath and Fianna Fáil will put forward a Bill in the Dáil this evening to try to remove the bank veto so people will have some solace in the fact that an independent body might be the final arbiter on whether a house is repossessed. Senator Byrne and I will put forward a Bill later this month which tries, once again, to afford protection to people's family home. Many of us have family members who work in the banks, but as institutions they are acting in a despicable fashion. They care nothing for the sacrifices made on their behalf by the families throughout Ireland. I am currently dealing with a specific case, not to mention names, in the St. Brigid's area of Sligo town. I have tried to act as a mediator with the body for the family to try to maintain their home. They were given an undertaking verbally that they would be afforded the opportunity to avail of a split mortgage, but that was not the case.Despite the fact that they have paid since, regimentally, the agreed sum of money, they have now been told that the intention is to sell your house or they can use the mortgage to rent option whereby they can live as a tenant in their own home but you will lose all rights of ownership of their house. I have again tried to correspond on these people's behalf. Since then IBRC, which was owned by the people, has been liquidated and that portion of that loan book has been sold to some other crowd called Mars Capital.

The reality is the Government has to take some cognisance of this issue which is gaining serious momentum. One day in February there were 271 orders for repossession in Donegal, which is 80 more than the Insolvency Service of Ireland has dealt with in a two-year period. On this very day, in the other House, the Taoiseach is saying we are making progress, it is going to be great, we would like to see more and, while we are disappointed we have not, we will. That is simply not good enough. The Government looks as if it is in reverse compared with the autopilot of the previous Government. Is the systemic nature of the Irish people going to be prioritised by the ship of Government? I do not care who is there but I care about the people and the neglect of them that has been shown. The banks are in absolute control. Again, I say we have put the fox in charge of the henhouse, and not just in charge of it, but have facilitated him in ravaging it.

I again call for an early debate on the issue of health. I know our previous Private Members' Bill was on the issue and the Minister for Health kindly made himself available, but again it is autopilot in the extreme. Today we are talking about €25 million being made available to give millionaires' children free doctor care. There are 550 people on trolleys throughout the country today, which is not new as it was predicted in the three-page letter by Tony O'Connell back in September. The Government wants to give money to free doctor care for millionaires' children when we do not have the money to care adequately for elderly and infirm people in accident and emergency departments.