The Taoiseach Enda Kenny says he does not want to see homes repossessed, and is calling on banks to do more to engage with their mortgage holders.
His comments follow figures from the Courts Service, which show that 7,000 repossession cases are pending.
The Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation says the number of repossessions could reach 25,000 within the next two years.
But Mr Kenny says the threat of repossession should not be hanging over people's heads.
Yesterday, the Finance Minister Michael Noonan said the figures were a sign of engagement and not an accurate reflection of repossessions.
Speaking in Brussels, he claimed that banks are only taking repossession cases against homeowners so that they can talk to the borrower.
However, the Free Legal Aid Centre hit back at claims by Mr Noonan. The director-general of FLAC, Noeline Blackwell, said they utterly disagreed with the minister.
