I want to talk about the tracker mortgage scandal. I commend Deputy Pearse Doherty and other Sinn Féin Deputies for moving a motion calling for a full and urgent redress scheme for the 15,000 victims affected by the theft of their money by the banks. We need an overhaul of white collar crime legislation in order that the bankers responsible will be held to account. In addition, an unspeakable wrong has been done to the individuals and families who lost their homes and those who endured the stress of being hounded by reckless and unsupervised bankers who were fully aware that they were demanding money under false pretences. During our questioning of the banks at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, the banks told us that they had made a mistake; thererfore, they all made the same mistake at the same time. The evidence points to a deliberate and calculated plan to implement this practice across the board. The scale of the theft can be seen in the fact that AIB and Permanent TSB have made provision for sums of €190 million and €145 million to refund those who were overcharged. One can only imagine the impact on the people affected in this amount of money being taken from them, all the things they had to do without and all of the other bills that went unpaid. Where was the Central Bank in all of this and why did it not act sooner?

I fully support the Sinn Féin motion which calls for the Central Bank, An Garda Síochána and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to co-operate, with a view to establishing if individuals, as well as corporate entities, can be held accountable for their part in this scandal. From the start, the scandal has been shrouded in secrecy on the part of the banks, the Central Bank and those appointed to conduct the review. There have been no criteria, no openness and no information. It is all being done behind closed doors. Why is the Bank of Ireland stating staff with tracker mortgages are not eligible? Customers still do not know where they stand. Some people have received letters, while others have not. It is past time for some honesty, accountability and transparency. The arrogance and foot dragging of the banks are disgraceful. I guess that this is the reward we get for giving the bankers a gentle slap on the wrist wrapped in €64 billion of citizens' hard-earned money and that of those yet to be born. Perhaps the Icelandic approach would have resulted in a change in behaviour on the part of the bankers. Will the Leader to ask the Minister for Finance to come before this House to debate the issue of tracker mortgages and, in particular, commit to a strict deadline for issuing compensation.