The finance minister Michael Noonan says banks are taking mortgage customers to court, just to get them to work out a repayment schedule.
Mr Noonan says the number of cases going to court does not reflect the number of homes actually being repossessed.
Earlier it emerged that banks have begun repossession proceedings for over 7,000 homes so far this year.
In Brussels this afternoon Michael Noonan said not every case in the courts would lead to someone losing their home:
