The Government's Personal Insolvency Bill, while providing some positives, favours the rights of creditors, banks and lending institutions. By Patrick Nulty, TD.

At the end of June this year there were a staggering 83,251 homes with mortgage arrears of more than 90 days. This represents 10.9% of all homes with mortgages. Of these 65,698 homes were in arrears of more than 180 days. This is the equivalent of 8.6% of the total stock.

Ahead of the Labour Party's national conference in Galway this weekend, Labour TD for Dublin West and Swords, Patrick Nulty writes that his party's identity has been "somewhat eroded" since it entered government. Motions being put to party delegates, if passed, "will signal to the leadership that a new direction is required", Nulty writes.