Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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64. To ask the Minister for Finance if discussions have been undertaken with a group (details supplied) on an extension of the mortgage moratorium on behalf of mortgage holders in Dublin in view of the increased public health restrictions in the county and associated reduction in economic activity; if so, the status of the talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27415/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, on 18 March last, the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) announced a coordinated approach by banks and other lenders to help their customers who were economically impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.  The measures included flexible loan repayment arrangements where needed, including loan payment breaks initially for a period up to three months and then subsequently extended for up to six months. 

Banks have now provided for flexible options for borrowers who can recommence payments following a payment break, and the BPFI has produced a useful guide on this - .The Central Bank has also updated its Covid-19 FAQ in relation to mortgage payment breaks on 18 September.

However, I continue to make it clear to lenders - and I reiterated the point at a meeting with the BPFI and the CEOs of the main banks on Monday - that they should continue to work with and pro-actively assist their customers who are still experiencing difficulty as a consequence of Covid-19. I expect sympathetic and encouraging customer engagement from lenders at this time. This applies to mortgage holders across the country, including those in Dublin to whom the Deputy refers.

I would encourage any borrower who feels they may have difficulty in resuming payments after a Covid-19 payment break to contact their lender and if possible to do so before the payment break end date.  Borrowers have a suite of regulatory protections and lenders have specific obligations, under the Central Bank consumer protection framework, to support and work with borrowers in arrears or in pre-arrears. In particular, lenders are obliged to engage and work with co-operating borrowers to identify an appropriate alternative repayment arrangement having regard to the particular circumstances of a case, and lenders should use the full suite of solutions available to them for their borrowers who continue to be impacted by Covid-19. In this regard, it is important to note that, while the European Banking Authority recently stated it would not extend its 30 September closing date for applications to qualify for a Covid-19 payment break, banks can continue to support their customers with further breaks in payment after 30 September on a case by case basis if needed with such loans classified according to the normal prudential framework.