Over €100m of goods and property seized by sheriffs in two years
Over €100m worth of goods and property have been seized by city and county sheriffs over a two-year period, it has emerged.
Figures from the Department of Justice published in the Irish Examiner today highlight the repayments people have had to make by surrendering items to pay off their debts.
Sheriffs in Dublin and Cork, along with court registrars in the provinces, can seize property belonging to a person in debt including cars, farm machinery and even furniture.
According to the figures, revenue sheriffs issued 34,463 warrants last year, with a return of €171.3m for the public purse.
Sheriffs sell the items they seize from the person in debt to pay the creditor.
And in an arrangement known as 'poundage', the sheriffs are paid a percentage of the funds raised.
But concerns are being raised over the practice and there have been calls for a centralised system of enforcement to be established, to protect vulnerable people who amass personal debt.
