asked the Minister for Finance if he will introduce legislation to ensure that persons who, having bought goods on hire-purchase terms and having paid a substantial sum in instalments, become unable, through unemployment or some other cause not within their control, to continue the payments, will not be compelled to forfeit both the goods and all paid-up moneys; if, further, in view of the abnormal amount of unemployment brought about by the national emergency he will, pending such legislation, arrange for the granting of a moratorium on the remaining payments in all such cases.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Moratorium on Hire-Purchase Payments.
With regard to the first part of the Deputy's question, I have consulted the Ministers for Justice and for Industry and Commerce, and I have no information which suggests that a situation necessitating remedial legislation exists. With regard to the second part of the question, I am not aware of any change in circumstances which would cause me now to modify the replies given to Deputy Norton on the 19th March, 1941, and to Deputy Davin on the 17th September last, when I indicated that it was not the Government's intention to introduce proposals for a moratorium affecting hire-purchase or other obligations.
Mr. Byrne
Will the Minister say what information would be deemed necessary before he would take the steps suggested? If he gets information regarding a number of cases of hardship, will he consider them?
There are certain cases which have to be notified to the Department of Justice in regard to proceedings in connection with hire purchase, where the owners—that is those who lent out the hire purchased articles—proceed to take them back. Those are notified to the Department of Justice, but, on the figures I have got in connection with such cases it does not seem that, so far at any rate, there has been a case made for any interference.
Mr. Byrne
Is it that they are not sufficiently numerous?
They are not numerous and they are not sufficiently unusual to warrant any interference.