The Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has confirmed that the Government has taken no steps to implement the recommendation in the Keane report to establish an independent mortgage advice service with at least 100 professional advisors, according to Fianna Fáil Finance Spokesperson Michael McGrath.

Deputy McGrath stated: "Every time the Central Bank publishes mortgage arrears statistics showing a further deterioration in the number of people experiencing mortgage distress, a Government Spokesperson is wheeled out to say the Keane report is being implemented.

"One of the key recommendations of the Keane report, handed to the Government in September 2011, was to establish an independent mortgage advice function with at least 100 professional advisors whose role it would be to negotiate with the banks on behalf of those in distress. Minister Joan Burton has now admitted that the Government is still sitting on this recommendation and is trying to decide whether or not it is a good idea to implement it.

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"This news highlights once again the need for Government to bring forward its overall plan for dealing with the mortgage arrears crisis. At this point in time, the truth is we simply do not know which of the recommendations in the Keane report are being implemented and which have been mothballed.

"People in mortgage distress want practical assistance from Government as they seek to address the financial problems facing them. It should not take a Dáil question from an opposition TD to find out whether key recommendations of the Keane report are being implemented or not. This report was to provide a roadmap for the Government to tackle the mortgage arrears problem in a meaningful way. We now find out that key recommendations of the report have not been acted upon. It begs the question, what else in the report is simply being ignored?"

(CD/GK)