Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to raise the issue of Ulster Bank raised by some of my colleagues. It is the end of a 160-year era. We all remember the Henry the Hippo money box growing up. Today is a huge blow for the 2,800 staff. It is also hugely worrying for those customers who have non-performing loans or who may have restructured their loans recently due to being put on the pandemic unemployment payment. We therefore need to ask the Minister what we will do for these customers. Where do they land? Will their loans be taken over by vulture funds? How can we give them proper assurances that the terms and conditions that apply to their current Ulster Bank mortgages will apply in the case of whatever institution takes them over?

We also have to be very cognisant, as Deputy McGuinness has pointed out, that vulture companies are very aggressively pursuing in the courts people who are defaulting on their mortgages and, more importantly, that such companies have not turned up to the Committee of Public Accounts when invited to address issues its members have raised. I would like to see, as my colleagues have said, an urgent debate in this House on how we will protect those vulnerable customers before any decision is made.

I wish to raise a campaign by Hyperemesis Ireland that routine drugs for women suffering from severe morning sickness such as Cariban be provided on the drugs payment scheme. These drugs can cost some women up to €2,000 during their pregnancies. This affects 1% of women, and that 1% is regularly hospitalised during pregnancy. If, however, they are able to take these drugs regularly and on time, hospitalisation is generally not necessary. We are asking the Minister to put these drugs on the drugs payment scheme because this is really unfair on these women. The drugs are hugely cost-prohibitive. It is a reasonable ask.