For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 1st July, 2014.
* 590. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the extension of BreastCheck to the 65-69 age group; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Seamus Healy T.D.
For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 1st July, 2014.
REPLY.
The BreastCheck Programme provides free mammograms to all women aged 50-64. A priority of the BreastCheck Programme at present is to maximise national uptake in the 50-64 year age cohort.
It is my intention to extend the upper age range to include the 65-69 age cohort as soon as possible in line with available resources.
Department of Finance
IBRC Mortgage Loan Book
Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
To ask the Minister for Finance the fraction of the book value that was paid recently by Lone Star and Oakland Capital for the non-performing loans which had been originally drawn down from Irish Nationwide Building Society; the status of the assurance by Lone Star and Oakland Capital that they will comply with Central Bank of Ireland guidelines in dealing with mortgage debt; the entity this assurance has been given; if it is a written assurance; if the assurance is legally binding on Lone Star and Oakland Capital; if he will urgently bring forward legislation to protect these mortgage holders from arbitrary mortgage increases and repossessions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16577/14]
Michael Noonan (Minister, Department of Finance; Limerick City, Fine Gael)
I have been informed by the Special Liquidators that they will not be providing information relating to amounts paid for portfolios by third parties as this is commercially sensitive information.
As the third parties are not regulated entities they are not required to comply with the Central Bank of Ireland Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA). However he two purchasers of the residential mortgage loans, Loan Star and Oaktree, have both voluntarily committed to servicing these books in accordance with the terms of the CCMA.
The Government has always been clear that we would ensure mortgage holders maintained the protection of the CCMA. The Department’s Legislative Programme includes the Sale of Loan Books to Unregulated Third Parties Bill, which will address concerns surrounding the continued applicability of the CCMA after loan books are sold to unregulated entities.
In preparation for this legislation, my officials have been considering how best to ensure that the protections under the CCMA and other Codes continue to apply when a loan book is sold to an unregulated entity. Progress is being made and draft heads of legislation have been sent to the Central Bank for their consideration in advance of more detailed engagement with the Attorney General s office.
It is important to highlight that the contractual terms and conditions of all customer mortgages and other borrowings of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation have not changed as a result of the appointment of the Special Liquidators nor will those terms and conditions change as a result of the sale of these obligations to a third party. Purchasers of mortgage loans will be obliged to honour the legal terms of the loan agreements.
Written Answers – Department of Health: Health Insurance Community Rating (18 Feb 2014)
Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
756. To ask the Minister for Health if he will review the risk equalisation scheme currently in operation having regard to the fact a significant proportion of the elderly are now insured by companies other than the VHI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8162/14]
James Reilly (Minister, Department of Health; Dublin North, Fine Gael)
The Risk Equalisation Scheme provides for a cost subsidy from younger, healthier people to older less healthy people and the compensation is provided in favour of the individual consumer and not in favour of any particular insurance company. A company with a worse than average risk profile (and therefore higher claims costs) will be a net beneficiary from the scheme while a company with a greater proportion of younger and healthier people will be a net contributor to the scheme but will benefit considerably from having much lower claims costs. Therefore, all insurers are in receipt of payments from the Risk Equalisation Fund in respect of their older customers, based on the number of older persons they have insured. I would encourage all commercial insurers to actively recruit older members to further balance spread of older customers.
Workers & Unemployed Action 