Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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82. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of persons in mortgage distress as of the latest calculable month, and the duration of their distress. [24083/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Central Bank prepare quarterly statistical bulletins on Residential Mortgage Arrears and Repossessions, the most recent of which was published on 4th June last in respect of Quarter one 2015.

I am informed by the Central Bank that the CBI mortgage arrears data relate to the number of accounts rather than people in arrears. The number of primary dwelling home (PDH) accounts in mortgage arrears at end-March 2015 was 104,693, representing a decline of 5.1 per cent relative to quarter four of 2014. Of this figure, the arrears breakdown was as follows:

- In arrears up to 90 days:30,298

- In arrears 91-180 days:8,229

- In arrears 181-360 days:10,696

- In arrears 361-720 days:17,537

- In arrears over 720 days:  37,933

The number of PDH mortgage accounts in arrears over 90 days (74,395) continued to fall during quarter one, the sixth consecutive decline in the number of PDH accounts in arrears over 90 days. The number of PDH accounts in arrears for more than 720 days continues to rise, although the pace of increase in this category has reduced significantly in recent quarters.