Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of occasions on which legal action was taken by each local authority for repossession of houses on foot of loan or tenancy agreements in each of the past three years and to date in 2011; the level of arrears of foot of which such proceedings were taken in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11930/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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My Department does not collect information in relation to the number of legal actions taken by local authorities on foot of cases of mortgage arrears. However, information regarding repossession of houses on foot of loan arrears is available. Repossession figures are extremely low for local authority borrowers with only 128 repossessions across all local authority areas carried out in the period 2005 – 2010. This includes 58 voluntary repossessions or abandonments.

In terms of rent arrears my Department collects data on an annual basis from local authorities under section 62 of the Housing Act 1966.

In 2008, 553 warrants issued on foot of rent arrears, of which 130 were enforced. In 2009 local authorities sought 598 warrants of which 36 were enforced. Information regarding 2010 and 2011 is not yet available.

Local authorities can and do exercise the powers available to them and endeavour in all arrears cases to engage proactively and constructively with a distressed borrower or tenant with the aim of ensuring that arrears cases are handled in a manner that is sympathetic to the needs of the particular household, while also protecting the position of the local authority concerned.