Gardaí ‘cannot take on’ illegal lenders

Gardaí have said they are powerless to take on illegal moneylenders unless people start giving evidence against these criminals

Their comments follow complaints by St Vincent de Paul that the illegal moneylending business is “thriving” and “nothing is being done to stop them”.

Earlier this week, a Cork woman described on RTÉ’s Liveline how she had gone hungry for weeks and sold her three-piece suite and jewellery so she could make weekly repayments on a €2,000 loan from a moneylender. She lives on social welfare but has to repay €5,000 at €100 a week.