Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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208. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the future funding of the dedicated mortgage arrears service run by MABS when the current round of funding expires at the end of 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25883/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board, provides assistance to people, in particular those on low incomes or living on social welfare payments, who are over-indebted and need help and advice with debt problems. As part of its free services, MABS provides help and advice to those in mortgage arrears.

The role of MABS was expanded in 2015 with the establishment of a Dedicated Mortgage Arrears MABS service (DMA MABS) across the MABS network, to help people specifically with home mortgage arrears. Specialist DMA advisors are working across 27 locations countrywide, assisting borrowers to assess the options available to them and, where required, negotiating with lenders on their behalf. To date, the DMA service has helped over 5,400 such borrowers.

In 2018, over €2m has been allocated to the DMA service and its continued funding beyond 2018, will be considered in the in the context of the Citizens Information Board overall budgetary requirements for 2019.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.