Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are not doing enough. The Central Bank calls for individual executives and board members of the Irish banks to be held accountable for overcharging of at least 20,000 mortgage customers. These calls are not enough. Threats of fines from the Government do not go far enough. For over 20 years these banks have been able to hoodwink us and it is not acceptable. What the banks are doing is wrong. We all agree on that, across the parties. Bankers deal in money and they hurt people most in their pockets. The bankers should be instructed to wipe away debt on their customers' homes as they did on the millions owed by billionaires. We have no way to bring back lost homes, put marriages back together or bring back deceased loved ones but we can change how the banks behave in the future by hitting them where it hurts and by giving stability to families in the future. I call the Minister for Finance to come before the House to address this. I have concerns. We need to play hardball with these bankers and give families stability.