Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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100. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of cases processed regarding mortgage arrears resolutions achieved in each of the past two years to date; the total number of borrowers who have retained their homes; the number who have lost their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23824/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I would refer the Deputy to the Central Bank's latest mortgage arrears and repossession statistics for quarter 1 2016 which are publicly available at www.centralbank.ie/polstats/stats/mortgagearrears/Documents/2016q1_ie_mortgage_arrears_statistics.pdf.  This publication, together with previous quarterly publications back to quarter 1 of 2012, provide a detailed breakdown of mortgage restructuring arrangements and property repossession activity for each year.

The numbers in mortgage arrears have been steadily declining. Over the last two years, from Q1 2014 to Q1 2016, the number of PDH mortgage accounts in arrears has fallen by almost 35 per cent from 132,217 accounts to 85,989 accounts and PDH mortgage accounts classified as restructured have risen by 30 per cent from 94,442 to 120,447.

The Deputy may be aware that the Central Bank has also published a spreadsheet with mortgage arrears and repossessions data from September 2009 at www.centralbank.ie/polstats/stats/mortgagearrears/Pages/Data.aspx.  However details about the number of borrowers who have retained their homes is not available.

The Deputy will be aware that 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 way by their lender and that long term resolution is sought by lenders with each of their borrowers.  

Finally, the Deputy will also be aware of the Government's commitment to continue to implement policies that will alleviate the distress of indebted borrowers, as set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government and in the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published earlier this week.