Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I call on the Leader to use her office to call on the Minister for Finance, who has publicly said he is engaging with the banks, to engage on behalf of borrowers and mortgage holders, whether holders of home mortgages or business borrowers. When the Covid-19 pandemic broke it was welcome that the banks supported borrowers. However, the deadline for applications to mortgage breaks is 30 September. As the pandemic has progressed and persisted, many of those who have managed financially to keep going have fallen into far deeper financial difficulties. The Minister for Finance has indicated that we are looking at 2021 as a year when we have to plan not only for the pandemic but for Brexit too. I call on the Leader to ask the Minister for Finance and his office to update the House on the progress he has made with the pillar banks in Ireland in extending mortgage breaks for personal and business borrowers who have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.