Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if it is intended to secure approval to extend the abhaile scheme indefinitely, given the rising need for this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3695/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Abhaile was established in 2016 by the then Ministers for Justice and Social Protection, with the intention of being a three-year response to the impact of the financial crisis on mortgage arrears in Ireland, with a plan to wind down the service at the end of this three-year period. However, in 2019, taking account of continuing need, the Government approved a three-year extension to Abhaile, with earmarked funding until the end of 2022. In making this extension, the Government agreed that a strategic review of the operation of Abhaile should be undertaken. A further extension of the scheme up to the end of 2023 was approved by Government in December 2022.

The purpose of the Strategic Review of Abhaile, currently underway by independent consultants, is to examine the overall operation, objectives and future of the Abhaile service, in the light of its delivery. The completed report of the review is expected to be finalised in late Q1 2023.

The findings of the review will then fall to be considered by me and by the Minister for Justice, and wider Government, in assessing the future of the service beyond the current funding commitment to the end of 2023.