In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, the Personal Insolvency Bill is in the course of being urgently developed in my Department to provide for a new framework for settlement and enforcement of debt and for personal insolvency. The commitment under the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland is to publish the Bill in Quarter 1 of 2012. The Heads of the Bill, which are expected to be finalised in the near future, will be forwarded to the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality for its consideration.
The issue of regulation or licensing of private debt management companies can be addressed in finalising the text of the Bill.