‘Banks as aggressive and arrogant as time of the crash’ – Kilkenny TD tells Taoiseach

OUTSPOKEN Kilkenny TD John McGuinness has launched another scathing attack on the banks – accusing them of being “as aggressive and arrogant as the time of the crash”.

Deputy McGuinness made the comments directly to Leo Varadkar as the Taoiseach appeared at an Oireachtas Finance Committee hearing this week.

The Kilkenny TD said told the Taoiseach his government is doing little to help the thousands of people across the country who find themselves in mortgage arrears.

He said homeowners dealing with vulture funds “have been put through the ringer” – and urged Mr Varadkar to recognise this “in some way, shape or form”.

In his reply, Mr Varadkar said it has been confirmed that no firm acting on behalf of a vulture fund or bank has ever been sanctioned for a breach of the current code of conduct which sets out how lenders must treat borrowers in a fair and transparent way.

But Deputy McGuinness said he disagreed with the Taoiseach on the matter and insisted vulture funds are “extremely difficult” to deal.

“Banks are as aggressive and as arrogant as the time of the crash,” he added.

“People who want to pay and want to engage with their banks, in spite of what the banks will say about engagement, the banks are not engaging.

“Many thousands who are caught up in bad mortgages and their cry for help… they are saying it is non-engagement on the side of the banks.”