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Financial institutions and vulture funds should cease the draconian act of forced eviction, ICSA rural development chair Seamus Sherlock has said.
“The unfortunate scenes at a Roscommon farmyard over recent days were reminiscent of something from the turn of the century.
"Nobody wants to see families being dragged out of their homes by security personnel.
“There has to be a better way. [The] ICSA’s mantra has always been mediation not confrontation.
Move forward
"Banks and vulture funds must sit down with families and explore every avenue to restructure the debt so that all parties can move forward with consensus and certainty.
“Dragging people out of their homes will not solve the problem, only inflame an already highly charged situation,” he said.
Sherlock commented that the ICSA is at the forefront of dealing with people in debt and has seen a sharp rise in the number of people seeking help with efforts to restructure their debt issues with lenders.
“Now, however, our worst fear of a situation like in Roscommon has come true.
"Violence at farm gates is not the answer; mediation is the only show in town and [the] ICSA are here to assist farm families who are making a genuine effort to honour their commitments,” Sherlock said.
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