Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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69. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of mortgages issued outside the terms of Central Bank of Ireland limits for first-time buyers in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42253/15]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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70. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of mortgages issued outside the terms of Central Bank of Ireland limits for non-first-time buyers in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42254/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 70 together.

The Central Bank of Ireland, in line with its mandate to safeguard financial stability, has put in place macro-prudential measures for residential mortgage lending effective from last February.  These measures apply proportionate loan-to-value and loan-to-income limits to mortgage lending by regulated financial service providers in the Irish market.  The key objective of these measures is to increase the resilience of the banking and household sectors to the property market and to reduce the risk of bank credit and house price spirals from developing in the future.  The Central Bank is independent in the formulation and operation of these new macro prudential measures.  However, I am informed by the Central Bank that, while it does not publish the particular information requested by the Deputy, compliance with the macro prudential regulation will be measured on an annualised basis at year end and that a decision will be made by the Bank at that time in relation to publishing the information.