“Family Home Statutory Protection Progressed as Group Meet Finance Minister

The Prevention of Family Home Repossessions Group have met with the Minister for Finance Mr. Brian Lenihan T.D to try to advance their proposals to find a way to assist those facing the prospect of losing their primary family home due to mortgage arrears. In Particular the Group is campaigning for legislative change to provide statutory protection.

The Groups meeting with Finance Minister Brian Lenihan was said to be positive and constructive. The Groups core objective is to effect legislative reform by way of amending the Enforcement of Court Orders Act to prohibit the granting of a court order for the repossession of a primary family residence unless the court is satisfied that a prescribed series of criteria are met including, an independent assessment of current ability to repay, an assessment of original application and underwriting quality and consideration of a range of alternative repayment options.

Group Spokesperson Barry O’ Flynn said, “We were very encouraged by our meeting with Minister Lenihan, his command of the complexities of the subject but in particular his appreciation for the necessity to take the appropriate action to ensure we avoid the social and human catastrophe which this issue has the potential to present. He acknowledged and thanked our group for our work and has assured us that he and the expert group recently appointed would consider our proposals and that statutory protection along the lines proposed was not at this stage being ruled out.

The group who also include, Senator Marc Mac Sharry, Solicitor Dermot Mc Dermot, Accountant Cathal O Donnell and Businessman Ignatius Beglane say that “despite the relative success of our work since forming in March 2009, in securing the support of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance in December and the positive meetings with the finance minister we remain more committed than ever to see our proposals progressed so we have launched the website www.saveyourhome.ie in order to maintain and increase momentum in our campaign to ensure statutory protection for families. The purpose of the site is to allow members of the public to share their stories and to sign up in order to petition the government to legislate for statutory protection”.

Group co founder Senator Marc Mac Sharry said, “There can be no more important consideration for government than the protection of the family. For this reason, it is imperative, that we afford families every possible assistance in protecting them from losing their homes”.