I refer to a question which Deputy Séamus Healy has asked twice in the last two weeks, once of the Taoiseach and once of the Tánaiste. On neither occasion has he received a reply which dealt with the question he raised. Before the Minister replies, the 30,000 families affected by this and I are well aware that the Government has established the Insolvency Service of Ireland, ISI, that new legislation on bankruptcy has been enacted and that the Central Bank has a mortgage arrears resolution process. Listing these points by rote is not an answer to my very specific question.

My question is on householders who lack sufficient income to pay their existing mortgages. They are unable to come to an agreement for reduced payments, split mortgages or mortgage to rent with their lenders. They do not have sufficient income to avail of the options from ISI and they cannot access bankruptcy and keep their homes. Up to 30,000 families are in this situation and face eviction. Can the Minister spell out his Government's policy for a clear, political and financial solution for these people, without the waffle about the Government's priorities, to keep these people in their homes?

The Deputy has referred to a question to which she feels she has not received an answer. I will try to get a copy of Deputy Healy's question and will give her the note I have on this matter. The Government has put in place a comprehensive programme of actions to assist householders struggling to pay their mortgages.

Here we go again.

We have rebalanced the rights of borrowers and lenders under the biggest shake-up of personal insolvency law in a century and we have given those who bought their first homes during the bubble significant increases in mortgage interest relief. All the tools are in place to accelerate the work out of the mortgage crisis. Banks and borrowers need to use these tools to reach fair and sustainable solutions to mortgage arrears on a case-by-case basis. We cannot allow the economic recovery to bypass families in mortgage arrears. We cannot leave 100,000 families in limbo because they have no certainty about their financial situation. There is a solution and process available to people who cannot pay their mortgages.

What is it?

Engagement between consumers and lenders has already led to 45,177 permanent mortgage restructures up to the end of September, an increase of 3,900 on the August data. Encouragingly, the total number of mortgage accounts in arrears has fallen by 2,316 accounts to just over 118,000 accounts. The number of mortgage accounts in arrears of greater than 90 days has fallen by 14,068 accounts, down from 82,624 to 81,156. Term extensions and arrears capitalisations are the dominant permanent restructure type, comprising approximately 60% of total restructures. There has also been an increase in the number of split mortgages to 3,688 from 2,521 at the end of August. The next data up to the end of October will be released on 12 December. The Central Bank has set clear targets for the banks to deal with distressed borrowers requiring them to offer sustainable solutions by the end of next year at the latest.

In my question I appealed to the Minister not to list off these points by rote, and that is exactly what he has done. He has not said what the Government will do to solve the problems of the 30,000 families who cannot access insolvency services. I thought it might be third time lucky today and I might have got an answer from the Government. I have an example of a family whose income is €80 over the Insolvency Service of Ireland's monthly basic living needs. The cost to that family of employing a personal insolvency practitioner, PIP, for entering the debt settlement arrangement is €6,888 with a €1,230 up-front payment. That family cannot afford to go into that insolvency service arrangement.

Many families do not even have that extra €80, they are on the living allowance line, and they cannot access the service. What will the Government do for these people? Has the Government created a bankruptcy regime and insolvency legislation for the Seán Fitzpatricks of this world while the ordinary householders whose income has been decimated by the crash can swing in the wind? Is the Government going to continue a policy of insolvency apartheid?

The Deputy refers to a specific set of cases. If she wishes to give me the details of those cases I will get a comprehensive and detailed response.

There are 30,000 of them.

There are 30,000, they are not individuals.

I have indicated the measures that have been taken to date and we believe they will help the vast majority of people who find themselves in that situation.

Outrageous. They are left swinging in the wind.