Massive Debt - worst ever

Who mentioned a dish?

You were the first one to mention a dish I believe, the point I was making is that if they are currently paying for sky then they already have the necessary hardware.

If they don't already have one, your 'quote' of 300 euros is completely off the mark, you can buy everything you need to get setup in Lidl this Monday for 79.99(Cheaper on ebay or donedeal). Setup is of this type of system is pretty facile and can be done by most people by following the enclosed instructions.

Anyway just trying to be helpful here, not get into an off-topic spat.
 
They could reside in the UK for a short period of time and then declare bankruptcy, which would also cover their Irish debt.

That is a completely daft suggestion.

I agree with the posters that have suggested that the OP's husband should consider giving up his job to mind the kids. Even if he only does it for a few years until their finances are more stable. It would save on childcare, travel costs for the husband getting to work, lunches in work etc... Also, with him being at home it might be easier to cut back on the grocery bill ... he would be able to meal plan etc...
 
I would rather the six year credit blacklist, than try to pay this back. When will this house ever be sold for 495k? 6 years? 12 years? in our lifetime?

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This is a very valid question.

If OP can get a handle on her spending then she may be able to get out of the mess, but some people are unable to do this. Certainly someone with so much debt all over the place and a judgement already on the house which is in negative equity doesn't give one much confidence. This combined with a partner unlikely to find a full time job and 3 kids requiring childcare, sometimes it doesn't add up.

OP would need to be very dedicated to getting a handle on the debt and would need a lot of help, are Mabs good enough for this? It can be done but it will take a lot of pain and effort.
 
This is the worst situation I have come across. I thought some people in haiti had it bad but no. This Irish family earning over 5k a month are far worse off.
 
This is the worst situation I have come across. I thought some people in haiti had it bad but no. This Irish family earning over 5k a month are far worse off.

Hah I know you're being a smart This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language, but you're right to point out that a bit of perspective every now and then is a good thing.

I reckon if the OP can continue to hang on for another 12 - 18 months, her husband may have found alternative employment by then, and everything will be back on track.
 
You've taken the first important step of facing up to your financial problem- well done. MABS generally seem to get positive reviews for the efforts they make in dealing with situations like this.
Some of the usual tips include:

Shopping:

Avoid using cards- deal strictly in cash.
Check Aldi/Lidl/special offers at the major multiples.
Try avoid convenience stores. If you absolutely must use them, be ruthless in your spend- no unnecessaries!
Try preparing large quantities of rice based/ pasta based / stew type dishes that will last for a few days. Freeze unused quantities. Avoid takeaways/ convenience-ready made meals. Personally, I'd suggest cutting the fortnightly wine (maybe once a month) if things are so bad but I know you've got to live a little too
For clothes/shoes- check the charity shops. You'd be surprised at the things you can pick up.

Energy & utilities:

Have you switched from ESB to other suppliers- some savings to be made.
Lower the thermostat/ switch off the lights/ wear an extra jumper to stay warm rather than turning up the heat.
Where relevant/ feasible, run applicances at night rate (make sure that you have a night rate meter installed- I think the ESB will install for free)
Your phone bills are pretty high- check the packages available.
I'd strongly second the 'get rid of the TV package' advice and would add check the deals for internet access.

Other income:

A previous poster suggested that your husband could do some childminding (tax free if under approx €15000 pa all in [with conditions]). Equally, fast food deliveries might be a possibility. Alternatively, could you rent a room in your (tax free up to approx €10000 pa)
 
What are your husband's prospects of finding something similiar to the position he had before he was let go? Maybe this might just turn out to be a blip/bad year? If so I wouldn't make any drastic desicions (like walking away from your depbts) as the longterm reprocussions could be bad for your family.
 
This is the worst situation I have come across. I thought some people in haiti had it bad but no. This Irish family earning over 5k a month are far worse off.

Surely you can come up with a better response than kicking somebody when they are down.

Just because somebody earns more money than you doesn't mean that they don't have financial problems.