The Tánaiste has said the Government regards the problems facing mortgage holders in arrears as a matter ‘of very great urgency’.
Eamon Gilmore told the Dáil that while legislation on personal insolvency is not due to be published until next year, consideration was being given to bringing in interim measures as part of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill this year.
The issue was raised by Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald, who referred to yesterday's comments by the Master of the High Court, and contrasted the speed with which the Government ‘pumped billions of euro into the banks’, with what she said was the ‘long-fingering’ of legislation to help ordinary people.
Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins said it was bad enough ‘to have certain banks robbing us, but killing us is even worse’.
The Tániaste also told Fianna Fáil's Timmy Dooley that measures to deal with upward-only rent reviews may be added to the Property Services Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage in the Dáil.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said a range of initiatives aimed at avoiding home repossessions was at the centre of Government policy.
Mr Kenny said mortgage interest relief and moratoriums on home repossessions are some of the ways people are being offered assistance.
Earlier, the Master of the High Court rejected criticism that remarks he made yesterday that banks were driving some debt-ridden borrowers to suicide were inflammatory.
The Irish Bankers' Federation said the comments were too emotive.
However, speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Edmund Honohan said that he had met the widows of people driven to take their own lives over relatively small debts.
He also said that a 'fresh start' scheme of debt forgiveness should be introduced for people.
Yesterday, Mr Honohan criticised banks and other credit institutions for the relentless pursuit of those unable to pay their debts.
He said the pursuit of people to the bitter end as part of an accountancy exercise to write-off debts for tax relief was leading to social disquiet and driving some people to suicide.
