Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide a progress report on the implementation of the Keane report on mortgage arrears. [36077/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Last October the Government published the Report of the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Mortgage Arrears ("Keane Report") and the implementation of its recommendations is now a significant part of the Government's overall efforts to tackle mortgage difficulty. As announced recently, a number of significant milestones have now been achieved in the implementation of the report's recommendations. These are:-

· The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defense has published the Personal Insolvency Bill which is now before the Oireachtas;

· The Minister for Housing and Planning has formally launched the "mortgage to rent" scheme on a nationwide basis;

· Finally, a specific website - keepingyourhome.ie - has been put in place by the Citizens Information Board, which will very shortly be enhanced by a telephone helpline, to provide information to mortgage holders.

The further development and roll out of these measures will considerably enhance the supports available to distressed mortgage holders. It is the Government's intention to continue to work intensively on all these areas to further advance the various measures during the second half of this year.