IMF: Employ specialist judges to deal with home repossessions

The Government should look at introducing measures for making home repossessions more efficient, including the designation of specialist judges, according to the IMF in its latest review of the economy.

This would help “concentrate expertise and provide resources for handling a potentially larger volume of repossession cases in an expedited manner”.

IMF mission chief for Ireland Craig Beaumont welcomed the Government’s move to change the legal loophole that made it difficult for banks to secure home repossessions. The threat of home repossessions was necessary to deter strategic defaulters, although it should be only used as a “last resort”, he said.