Plans to help struggling mortgage holders welcomed

Reports that the Government is to put plans in place to help mortgage holders struggling to make their repayments have been welcomed

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is to bring proposals to Cabinet shortly and it is hoped an expert group on the issue would then be up and running within weeks.

It has now been designated a "priority matter" for the Government.

Welcoming the development, Noelene Blackwell of the Free Legal Advice Centre however said the Government needs to go further and change the law to help these people.

"If you run a small business and you get into trouble there is legislation there," Ms Blackwell said.

"There are structures there that allow you to announce you have huge debt and you need some system for getting out of it.

"There is no significant system for individuals. What is there is antiquated."