Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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439. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will make the mortgage-to-rent scheme available under the fresh start principle to ensure that a parent with their children can remain in the family home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29718/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012. It offers households with acute, unsustainable mortgage arrears, who have little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances, the chance to surrender a property to a lender and in turn become a social housing tenant whilst staying in their own home and community.

The MTR scheme is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), and who have very limited options, if any, to meet their long-term housing needs themselves. The scheme is not aimed at individuals who require help in funding the purchase of a home, whether under a fresh start principle or otherwise.

The MARP is a framework that sets out rules for how lenders must deal with borrowers when they fall into mortgage arrears or are in pre-arrears. It forms a major part of the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) which is a statutory code set out by the Central Bank of Ireland. The CCMA and the MARP can be found in full on the Central Bank’s website .

Within the MARP framework there are many potential resolutions for borrowers in mortgage arrears, once they are engaging with their lender. The appropriate solution for each borrower will depend on their personal circumstances and their financial circumstances. If it has been determined that a borrower has no other possible resolution to their mortgage arrears situation once they have worked through the MARP process with their lender, they can then turn to the MTR scheme to see if they meet the eligibility criteria.

I would encourage any borrower in mortgage distress to discuss with their lender what options are available to resolve their mortgage arrears situation. For those borrowers in danger of losing their home who are ineligible for the MTR scheme but qualify for social housing support, it is recommended that they engage as early as possible with their local authority regarding their long-term housing needs.

I would also encourage borrowers to engage with the Abhaile Service, the national mortgage arrears resolution service, which is available free of charge to the borrower. MABS acts as the gateway for the service and can be contacted by telephoning (076)1072000 or by accessing their website at: . A dedicated adviser will work with the borrower and their lender to find the best solution for their particular situation.