Families Evicted as Government TDs Cry Crocodile Tears

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has claimed that Government Legislation has led to a tenfold increase in eviction proceedings in the courts and described Government Deputies cries of concern nothing more than “crocodile tears.”

Last year 7,100 families faced the unnerving prospect of appearing before the courts and in just nine months the bailed out banks have lodged 4,500 eviction proceedings with the courts.

Deputy Crowe said:

“Across the country thousands of families are living with the constant fear and very real prospect of losing their home. Hard working families many who bought average family homes at grossly inflated prices are being dragged through the courts by the very same banks that were bailed out by the usual suspects, the Irish taxpayers.

“Last year 7,100 families faced the unnerving prospect of appearing before the courts.

“In just nine months the bailed out banks have lodged 4,500 eviction proceedings with the courts. Every single month sees hundreds of fresh court actions are being taken against families in mortgage distress

“Hundreds more families are being forced by the banks into selling their homes rather than face the terror and embarrassment of being dragged before the courts.

“Two years ago Government Deputies passed the Land Conveyancing Act with the sole intention of making it easier for the banks to evict people from their homes.

“Figures released suggest that before the Act became into law the banks lodged between 50 to 100 court actions lodged every month. After the Conveyance Act became the law the number exploded from somewhere between 500 to1000 a month, a whopping tenfold or higher increase.

“The Government has given the banks additional powers to facilitate these evictions, the court orders for evictions has increased dramatically and now Government backbenchers are belatedly crying crocodile tears over the very same evictions.

“There have been 1088 evictions in the first nine months compared with 644 during the same period in 2014 and 240 during the same period in 2013.

“Government policy and their legislation have facilitated these evictions. Cries of concern from Government Deputies will hardly impress the countless number families who have lost or face losing their homes.”