Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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383. To ask the Minister for Finance the position regarding mortgage arrears in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32109/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the difficult position many people find themselves in with respect to mortgage arrears.  While it would not be appropriate for me to intervene directly in individual cases there are a number of supports available that should be able to help.  With over 118,500 restructure arrangements already in place on primary dwelling homes, it is certainly possible to resolve mortgage arrears when borrowers engage with their lender. I would strongly advise any individual dealing with debt to:

a) seek independent financial and legal advice on their specific situation and on the alternative courses of remedial action that are open to them; and

b) engage proactively with their lender in the provision of information and in timely response to communications.

There are a number of  sources of independent advice on dealing with debt including:

- The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) offer advice on dealing with mortgage debt.  Their web address is .

- The Insolvency Service of Ireland offers professional advice and practical assistance to distressed borrowers and can be reached at  076 106 4200;

- In addition, a dedicated website, , has been put in place by the Citizen's Information Board to provide information on mortgages arrears issues.  There is also a Mortgage Arrears Information Helpline to provide more tailored information to individual callers.  Their contact number is 076 107 2000.

The Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (the CCMA) provides a strong  consumer protection framework to ensure that borrowers struggling to keep up mortgage repayments are treated in a fair and transparent manner by their lender, and that long-term resolution is sought by lenders with each of their borrowers. In dealing with these difficult circumstances borrowers must be dealt with in a fair and transparent manner and on a case-by-case basis.  If the person on whose behalf the Deputy raised this question is dissatisfied with the way their lender applied the CCMA, there is an appeals process and recourse to the Financial Services Ombudsman thereafter, if the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved at the appeals stage.

I would like to assure the House that the Government is acutely conscious of the impact of debt on families across the country and that is why we are determined to see it resolved.