THE Catholic bishops want the Cabinet to introduce emergency measures to prevent financial institutions from repossessing family homes. Speaking at the end of the March meeting of the Episcopal Conference in Maynooth, Bishop of Elphin, Christy Jones, said the proposal was designed to counter the fear experienced by families in mortgage arrears that they risk losing their family home as a result of the recession.
"This is not a blank cheque proposal," Bishop Jones, who is chairman of the Bishops' Committee on the Family, told a news conference.
Bishop Jones suggested that each case would have to be appropriately assessed by a competent authority, with the aim of renegotiating the terms and conditions of a mortgage agreement to enable a family to repay at a level appropriate to their current circumstances.
Such a scheme could be regularly reviewed, he said, insisting that in Ireland the ownership of the family home has always been considered important.
"If the Government can intervene to support the banking system, which is essential for the proper functioning of society, similarly I am asking the Government to explore -- with lenders -- ways in which the family can be protected from repossession in these extraordinary times," the bishop said.
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(Source: II)