Bitter pursuit of debt ‘causing suicides’

PRESSURE on the Government to draft laws allowing some debt forgiveness for struggling homeowners and others facing crippling debts has mounted after the Master of the High Court said repossessions were causing untold social harm, including suicides.

Master Edmund Honohan also hit out at banks and other creditors for pursuing “to the bitter end” debtors who simply cannot pay and suggested meaningless “accountancy exercises” were causing considerable social disquiet and driving some people to suicide.

“We know which banks were the cheerleaders for the tiger. Yet some banks are reverting to type and come to court assuming that the banker always wins anyway. That’s not how the law sees it,” he said.