Illegal moneylenders ‘instil fear in thousands’

Thousands of homeowners are living in a state of fear because of intimidation from illegal moneylenders who are operating “unchallenged”, the St Vincent de Paul has warned.

Calling for action, Brendan Dempsey, the southern regional president of the SVP, maintains illegal moneylenders have “every second home” on the northside of Cork City in their grip.

“With so many people borrowing from these people, there has to be an awful lot of them operating around the country.