Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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256. To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which he discussed or intends to discuss with his European Union counterparts the higher cost of mortgages in Ireland compared with the rest of the European Union with the consequent impact on Irish citizens notwithstanding the single market. [8372/22]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that the general level of new lending interest rates in Ireland are higher than is the case in many other European countries. However, the price lenders charge for their loans is a commercial matter for individual lenders.  As Minister for Finance I cannot determine the lending policies of individual banks including the interest rates they charge for loans including mortgages, nor can other EU counterparts.   

Despite this, it should also be noted that recent trends indicate that certain mortgage rates have been falling in Ireland. For example, the interest rates on new mortgages (excluding renegotiations) have fallen from 4.05% in December 2014 to 2.69% in December 2021.   

The weighted average interest rate on new fixed rate mortgage agreements stood at 2.59% in December 2021, down from a series high of 4.11% in December 2014. There has also been a reduction in the interest rates charged on loans to SMEs and consumers over the same period.

However, Irish mortgage and other loans can have different characteristics from those offered in other countries. For example, many Irish banks include incentives such as cash back offers, which reduce the effective Irish mortgage interest rate. Also Irish mortgages are generally not subject to upfront fees which are typically charged by banks in some other EU jurisdictions.

There are also a number of important factors which will likely influence the interest rates charged on Irish mortgages. These include for example operational costs, certain structural factors as referenced above (such as incentives offered), as well as the fact that pricing will reflect:

- credit risk and capital requirements which in Ireland are elevated due to historical loss experience; 

- the level of non-performing loans which is higher in Ireland relative to other European banks (as provisioning and capital requirements are higher for these loans to reflect their higher risk and this in turn results in higher credit and capital costs for the Irish banks); and

- higher cost-to-income ratios which has been a characteristic of the Irish banking sector in recent years. 

To conclude I appreciate that greater sustainable competition in the credit market will be of benefit to consumers and other borrowers.  Accordingly, the review of the retail banking market which is now underway in my Department will consider how the banking system can best support economic activity, assess competition and consumer choice in the market for banking services and consider options to further develop the mortgage market.