Sinn Féin rules out pressuring Central Bank on mortgage rules

Pearse Doherty described the housing situation in Ireland as a "man-made problem", caused by "decisions that were made by successive policymakers".

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty said: "We’ve had a situation in the past where Government ministers and finance ministers have been called on the Central Bank to do this, that, and the other. We should have learned the lessons from the crash in relation to that." Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has said that his party will not seek to interfere with the Central Bank’s rules on mortgage lending should they come to power.

Mr Doherty said that the Central Bank, the financial regulator, has proved in the past that any interference with those rules would have meant that “house prices would have increased further”, causing “more hardship for borrowers”.