Roscommon man sees €1.1m in debt written off under insolvency arrangement

The High Court has approved a Personal Insolvency Arrangement for a 52-year-old man from County Roscommon, enabling him to retain his family home while writing off more than €1.1 million in debt. Mr Justice Alexander Owens granted the order following an appeal by a Personal Insolvency Practitioner after the Circuit Court had refused to approve the arrangement. The debtor incurred significant financial difficulties through personal guarantees linked to a construction business he operated with family members, which entered liquidation in 2008. Under the approved arrangement, unsecured debts owed to the Bank of Ireland and building suppliers will be written off in exchange for modest dividend payments. The mortgaged family home will be restructured, with over €110,000 of the outstanding balance written off and the remainder repaid over twenty years. The court heard that creditors would benefit more substantially under the arrangement than through bankruptcy proceedings. A separate arrangement was also approved for the debtor's wife.