‘No pledge to keep people in 21 homes’

The Government has “no pledge to keep people in 21 different homes and we must distinguish between people who can’t pay and those who won’t pay”.

That was the rebuke by Michael Noonan, the finance minister, after it emerged that a Dublin couple with an extensive property portfolio are continuing their protest after being evicted from their upmarket Dublin home.

Brendan and Asta Kelly own at least 20 rental properties, mostly in Dublin. The Kellys spent a fourth night outside the property at St Matthias Woods, Killiney, last night. While Mr Kelly told RTÉ he was protesting not just on behalf of himself and his wife but “also on behalf of all the people of Ireland”, Mr Noonan said there needed to be a distinction between those who can pay mortgage debt and those who won’t.