confidential mortgage information reported in media

[LouisCribben]

Yesterday in Irelands best selling newspaper, it listed some well known personalities (bono, charlie mccreevy, mick kinnane etc), and it published how much of a mortgage they got to buy properties during the propery bubble (through equity release on Irish properties probably )......

I was wondering if everyones mortgage is public knowledge ?
How would the newspaper have obtained this info and is it legal to publish it ?

I was thinking that a newspaper would not be allowed to publish if bono or Mick Kinnane bought a property in say New York with an Anglo loan or a BOI loan on the basis that its private information........obviously Im wrong

 

[mercman]

Personally I think it distasteful, disgusting and disgraceful that this kind of information should be paraded through the media circus. Wherever it came from an investigation should be undertaken immediately and heads should roll.

No matter what the circumstances, unless criminal activity, peoples' financial affairs should never be aired in public.

 

[Setanta12]

+1

 

[LouisCribben]

Was it probably a case that someone who knew the details of Bonos mortgage (a bank employee, his solicitor, etc) secretly calling up the newspaper with the details of the mortgage, and the newspaper then decided to publish it ?

Is there no law against the newspaper publishing it ?