Andrew Carey
andrew@limerickpost.ie
A GROUP of up to 30 protestors interrupted proceedings at Limerick Circuit Courthouse this Friday as County Registrar Pat Wallace heard cases of finacial institutions applying to the courts to repossess properties where borrowers had fallen into difficulty with repayments.
30 people took part in a standing protest after the leader of the Irish Democratic Party asked the County Registrar to adjourn the 126 listed cases to allow the Government follow through on their measures to assist home owners in mortgage difficulty.
County Registrar Pat Wallace was forced to leave the bench after Brian McCarthy of the Distressed Mortgage Holders, Kerry, Cork and Limerick group, interrupted proceedings and asked Mr Wallace to read a document.
Insisting that the County Registrar read a document, Mr McCarthy refused to return to the public gallery until Mr Wallace did so.
Asked if he was respondent to a case listed, Mr McCarthy said he was but he wanted to court to read the document because he questioned the viability of the evidence being presented to the court, people’s understanding of process and the fact that the banks were not present in court but represented by agents.
Mr Wallace repeatedly asked him to take a seat and the proceedings were eventually halted after Ken Smollen of the Irish Democratic Party took to his feet asking that all cases be adjourned until the government had announced its plans to help keep families in their homes.
Around 30 people sitting in the public gallery then stood up in support of Mr Smollen’s call and clapped and cheered loudly.
The County Registrar said they were interfering with due process and eventually left the bench after asking the court’s caretaker Oliver McCarthy to notify the Garda sergeant of the disruption.
Speaking outside the court, retired Garda Ken Smollen, leader of the Irish Democratic Party said people are terrified by the court process.
“Most of these people have never been in court, It’s ok for the likes of me who is actually used to going into court, but these people are terrified.”
“We are not trying to stop these cases people are not looking for write offs but we people want fairness. The banks will not engage fairly with people. The banks are refusing to engage fairly with people even though they say people are not engaging with them it’s the banks who are not engaging.
“Because the government has actually stated that they are going to announce plans in the coming weeks to help keep families in their homes would it not be fair and appropriate that these cases at least be adjourned until the government has announced these plans?” he said.
When the County Registrar returned 20 minutes later, Mr Wallace sympathised with the predicament of those in court but insisted he had a job to do.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a job to do. I am really sorry about your predicament. If you remain quiet you can stay in court if you don’t I’ll have to leave again and the gardai will remove you.”
At the conclusion of the court sitting, a total of 11 orders had been granted to allow the financial institutions repossess properties where large capital balances, including arrears, had amounted.
A large number of the cases were adjourned to the July and September sittings.
