Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I beg the Acting Chairman's indulgence to deliver two final paragraphs.

An order should be required setting out the maximum number of people who may attend a premises, if it is to be more than the receiver and two staff. The use of dogs, weapons or any other manner of intimidation should be banned. An order should be made that all those who attend a premises with a receiver make their identity known to the court and the borrower. There should be no concealed faces. The private security industry regulator, appointed under the Private Security Services Act 2004, obliges all security staff to wear identity badges when at work. The same principle should apply to receivers. If property to be seized is the family home or principal private residence, PPR, or adjacent to or abutting the family home or PPR, the receiver should be required to contact the occupants of the family home to make an appointment when he or she is to attend. The time should be agreed with the occupants in advance. If that is impossible, the court should appoint a particular time to be served in the notice to the occupants. No visit or seizure actions should be carried out outside that time and date.

The Minister of State should liaise with the Minister for Finance with a view to directing the Central Bank to introduce new rules for lending and credit institutions on the contractual terms governing the appointment and conduct of receivers under a mortgage. I am simply asking the Minister of State to concur with the spirit of what the Taoiseach has been saying and to accept that this is an area that badly needs to be subject o regulation in the public interest.