Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Dessie Ellis closed a debate on his party's private members' motion on social housing and mortgage distress by calling on the government to revisit the personal insolvency act and remove the final say from lenders and to embark on a building programme to deliver 9,000 social housing units within two years.

Deputy Ellis said: "It was reported that AIB is to increase its variable interest rates that will affect 70,000 households. If proof was needed that the banks are immune to the difficulty faced daily by struggling mortgage-holders then this is it. This move by AIB should be a call to action by this government to allow an independent body to impose settlements on banks.

"Action has been promised again and again but the figures show these promises have not been lived up to.

"Sinn Fein has repeatedly showed there is an alternative. We are nearly tired of reminding the government that there are alternatives and we have worked hard to present them to this government, to give them options we felt they could support. But these proposals have fallen on deaf ears. Last night and tonight we make that plea again for government benches to listen, to work with us to put its focus on finally beginning to resolve these outstanding issues which worry the people of this state every day.

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"Equivocation by the government and its failure to take decisive action has unfortunately added to the crisis.

"Action is required. The first step now must be to revisit the Personal Insolvency Act and remove the final say from the lenders. As long as the lenders have a veto there is little reason for them to seek fair compromises.

"We are calling for 'independent agreements on mortgage distress' to be decided by 'a mortgage restructuring panel' appointed by the Minister.

"This panel would be empowered to act as an arbitrator with the authorisation to impose on both parties agreements aimed at prioritising the protection of the family home.

"We of course accept that Fine Gael and Labour, or certainly this government did not create the serious problems we face particularly in the case of the social housing shortage but it falls on them now to address the problem. The crisis was a collaboration of most governments since the early 1980’s who sought in the best traditions of Thatcher to push private ownership over public provision, not in the interest of improving the conditions of housing for working people but in order to remove the states responsibility for housing.

"In fact the Labour Party just five years ago co-signed a motion in this house along with Sinn Féin which called for the construction of 10,000 social housing units a year for the following three years. This was against the back drop of falling revenue and a housing crisis which was moderate by comparison to the one we face today, with 60,000 on waiting lists rather than today's 100,000.

"The Labour Party had not then given up on large scale social housing projects, but of course they had not yet been shackled and dragged to the right by Fine Gael. It is hard to believe we are dealing with the same party."

(CD/GK)