Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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312. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the plans to increase the income threshold of €30,000 for the mortgage to rent scheme in Mayo, to reflect current economic conditions and inflation. [67418/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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313. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of individuals that have applied for the mortgage to rent scheme across the State; the number which have been successful; and to provide a breakdown for each for the past five years, in tabular form. [67419/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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314. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the alternative solutions that are in place for families facing repossession; and who are at risk of eviction when they cannot qualify for the mortgage to rent scheme. [67420/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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315. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to conduct an immediate review of eligibility criteria for the mortgage to rent scheme to prevent homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67421/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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316. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to consider raising the income threshold for the mortgage to rent scheme to €35,000 without delay. [67422/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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317. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to conduct a full review of the mortgage to rent eligibility criteria and engage with money advice and budgeting service and approved housing bodies to assess demand and impact. [67423/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 312 to 317, inclusive, together.

The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme, introduced in 2012, is aimed at households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process. It offers qualifying households that have limited prospects of a significant change in circumstances, the chance to surrender ownership of their property to a lender and in turn become a social housing tenant whilst staying in their own home and community.

Since the beginning of the scheme a total of 7,672 cases have been submitted up to end Q3-2025. Of the 7,672 cases submitted, 4,491 were ineligible or terminated during the process. Of the remaining cases submitted, 2,848 have been completed and the remaining 333 are actively being progressed.

The Housing Agency publishes, on a quarterly basis, detailed statistical information on the operation of the MTR scheme, which can be accessed on The Housing Agency's website at the following link: www.housingagency.ie/housing-information/mortgage-rent-statistics

In order for a borrower to qualify for the MTR scheme, the mortgage, property and household must meet detailed eligibility criteria. One of the requirements of the MTR scheme is that the household must qualify for social housing support and therefore their income limits must be below the income limits for social housing generally. The baseline income thresholds increased by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds thus increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for Bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively. These thresholds are net income thresholds, i.e. gross household income less income tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge and Additional Superannuation Contribution. Income is defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards and local authorities also have discretion to disregard income that is once-off, temporary or short-term in nature and which is outside the regular pattern of a person’s annual income.

My Department has been examining the existing income limits in the context of current market and household income conditions, including the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since the standardised income limits were introduced. This includes examining the findings of research commissioned by my Department and this work is ongoing.

The 2021 Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme was published by my Department on 24 January 2022 and is available on my Department's website. One key priority action from this Review was to broaden the eligibility criteria of the scheme; this was implemented in February 2022. This included changes to the positive equity and property acquisition limits and more flexibility on over-accommodation where a member of the household is aged 65 or over, or has a disability.

Furthermore, from 1 November 2024, further increases in the property price thresholds were introduced, to reflect market conditions in the residential housing sector. These changes have enabled some borrowers, who would not previously have met the qualifying criteria for the Mortgage to Rent scheme, to qualify.

If MTR is not an option, I would encourage borrowers to discuss with their lender if there are other options available to resolve their mortgage arrears situation.

The Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (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 www.centralbank.ie/consumer-hub/explainers/how-does-the-central-bank-protect-me-if-i-cant-pay-my-mortgage .

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.

My focus, and that of the Government, is to ensure that as many households as possible remain in their homes and 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. The unique element of Abhaile is that it brings together the full range of supports and services required by borrowers in mortgage arrears. A dedicated adviser will work with the borrower and their lender to find the best solution for their particular situation. MABS acts as the gateway for the service and can be contacted by telephoning (076)1072000 or by accessing their website at: www.mabs.ie/abhaile.

Finally, my Department is represented on the Abhaile Steering Group and the Mortgage Arrears Forum, along with representatives from the Department of Finance, Department of Justice, the Department of Social Protection and other stakeholders. The Report of the Mortgage Arrears Review Group, published in September 2024, set out a series of recommendations concerning mortgage arrears, particularly longer term arrears. One of the actions arising from this report was that the MTR scheme would be subject to a high level review in 2026. This review will be undertaken in 2026 and will assess the performance of all aspects of the scheme in the context of an evolving mortgage arrears environment.