The Government and the banks must not treat the family home like any other property to be seized because of mortgage arrears, the head of the Catholic Church’s Council for Justice and Peace, Bishop Raymond Field (pictured), has said.

His call echoes that of the Master of the High Court Ed Honohan, who said last week that banks were pursuing indebted homeowners “to the bitter end”, and said the process has driven some people to suicide.

Bishop Field, in a statement to the Sunday Independent, said priority needed to be given to finding a “just, viable and sustainable solution” for homeowners in arrears, in the “interests of the common good”.

He appealed to the Government and banks “to act in the interests of the common good and recognise that a family home cannot be treated like any other property”.

“Strong families are the cornerstone of communities and a healthy society. The environment in which the family lives is of central importance in that equation. The consequences of losing a family home must not be underestimated or minimised.”

He reiterated the Church’s view expressed earlier this year, in which it said the “home, which should provide a place of warmth and security, had now become a burden, a source of insecurity and a constant reminder of insurmountable debts”.

He added: “True economic recovery cannot be achieved at the expense of the well-being of our citizens. It is in all our best interests to ensure that a just, viable and sustainable solution is found to the problem of mortgage arrears and home repossessions.

“This needs to be a priority issue for both the Government and the financial institutions as more and more people are suffering everyday the strain of this fear and insecurity. Ending this suffering would be a significant step towards recovery.”