Govt has left mortgage holders in Longford & Westmeath at the mercy of merciless banks – Troy

Posted by Robert Troy TD

Govt has left mortgage holders in Longford & Westmeath at the mercy of merciless banks – Troy 

“As interest rates continue to rise on mortgages and loans the Government has left thousands of borrowers in Westmeath and Longford to the mercy of banks despite promises to help”, according to local Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy. 

Deputy Troy said: “I am meeting people every week in Longford and Westme

ath who fear the cost of surviving week-to-week is being put further and further beyond their reach. The latest increases in variable interest rates by AIB and Bank of Ireland will take more money out of people’s pockets in the weeks before Christmas and there is no sign that this Government is prepared to do anything to help. As a result of this rate hike mortgage holders will have to pay an extra €30 a month for every €100,000 borrowed.

“The official mortgage data shows almost 11% of occupied properties are in arrears of 90 days or more. But what are of huge concern to me are the real lives of people in Longford and Westmeath behind those statistics. When you look beyond the headline figures you see that by value, more than one in four (27%) residential mortgages is either in arrears or has been restructured already. On top of that a recent report by Davy stockbrokers said over 50% of residential mortgages is in negative equity, including the majority of those taken out since 2000.

“The real problem with negative equity is that the banks hold all the cards. If the term on a customer’s fixed interest rate is up the bank can increase the rates, knowing the borrower has no choice because they can’t switch mortgage provider.

“Every time the banks increase interest rates they take more money out of people’s pockets, more money out of the economy and actually push those very borrowers closer or into arrears, causing yet more trouble for the banks. The domestic economy is still in a very weak state and retail sales continue to show a year-on-year decline. How can it be in the interest of banks to stop their borrowers from spending in the local economy in Westmeath and Longford, helping a local shop in Longford, Mullingar or Westmeath, which in all likelihood has loans out from those same banks?

Deputy Troy concluded: “This Government promised to help borrowers in Longford and Westmeath but instead what we see every month is more mortgage holders in difficulty and independent reports showing that banks are not lending to businesses in the way they should – and when they are lending they’re doing so at punitive interest rates. How long is this government going to leave borrowers at the mercy of banks which are showing no mercy at all?”

Root and branch re-think on State’s treatment of young offenders is essential – Troy

Posted by Robert Troy TD

Root and branch re-think on State’s treatment of young offenders is essential – Troy

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Children Robert Troy has said that severity and graphic nature of the report into St. Patrick’s Institution must be treated with the utmost seriousness. He commented: “The detention of 17 year olds at St. Patrick’s should cease immediately and they should be transferred to Oberstown or other appropriate rehabilitation facilities. The focus must shift from simple punishment to rehabilitation.

Deputy Troy said: “We can no longer wait for the May 2014 deadline. The report into St. Patrick’s Institution has called for a review of this timeline and I will support any initiative Minister Shatter or Minister Fitzgerald seek to put in place to provide an appropriate setting for these vulnerable young people. No child should ever be detained at St. Patrick’s again. This is the first time a report has identified that the human rights of young people were being seriously violated by the conditions at St. Patrick’s Institution.

“I think it is important to remember that these are children first and young offenders second. Of course where criminal offences take place the appropriate sanction must be applied but we must have a system in place that will rehabilitate young people back into society, and one that is not simply focussed on detention. It is clear from the Inspector of Prisons’ report that far from rehabilitating offenders St. Patrick’s Institution has hardened many prisoners and allowed drug abuse to foster in a completely unsuitable environment for children.

“I want to commend the Inspector of Prison for his report. His dogged and determined efforts to get to the bottom of what has really been going on at St. Patrick’s Institution shows a great commitment to public service and the welfare and right of children.”

Fianna Fáil to Support Long Awaited Children’s Referendum – Troy

Posted on 19/09/12 by Robert Troy

Spokesperson on Children Robert Troy has said his party will be calling for a 'YES' vote in the Children’s Referendum on November 10th, following the long awaited publication of the wording of the proposed amendment.

“Given that the wording is almost identical to that proposed by our Director of Elections Barry Andrews and agreed by the previous Government in January 2011, Fianna Fáil will be supporting the proposed Constitutional and mounting a vigorous ‘YES’ campaign.

“I will be working alongside Barry and the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party urging our own members and the public at large to support this important change to the Constitution. Simultaneously, I plan to make a strong case to the Minister for adequate resources to be put in place to support the measures introduced by the change, including additional social workers and child protection structures.

“It is a matter of fact that significant progress has been made in the area of child protection over the last 10 years. This constitutional change is the natural next step in that process.”

The following is the text to the proposed changes to the Constitution:

Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution

PROPOSED NEW ARTICLE 42A

Children

1. The State recognises and affirms the natural and imprescriptible rights of all children and shall, as far as practicable, by its laws protect and vindicate those rights.
2. 1° In exceptional cases, where the parents, regardless of their marital status, fail in their duty towards their children to such extent that the safety or welfare of any of their children is likely to be prejudicially affected, the State as guardian of the common good shall, by proportionate means as provided by law, endeavour to supply the place of the parents, but always with due regard for the natural and imprescriptible rights of the child.
   
   2° Provision shall be made by law for the adoption of any child where the parents have failed for such a period of time as may be prescribed by law in their duty towards the child and where the best interests of the child so require.
3. Provision shall be made by law for the voluntary placement for adoption and the adoption of any child.
4. 1° Provision shall be made by law that in the resolution of all proceedings-
   
   i brought by the State, as guardian of the common good, for the purpose of preventing the safety and welfare of any child from being prejudicially affected, orii concerning the adoption, guardianship or custody of, or access to, any child, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.
   2° Provision shall be made by law for securing, as far as practicable, that in all proceedings referred to in subsection 1° of this section in respect of any child who is capable of forming his or her own views, the views of the child shall be ascertained and given due weight having regard to the age and maturity of the child.