The Central Bank of Ireland has an overall and independent responsibility to promote and protect financial stability and the mortgage lending measures are an important tool available to the Bank for that purpose. As the Deputy is aware, the Central Bank recently published its 2018 review of the residential mortgage macro prudential rules (available at this link) and the Bank indicated, following the review, that the mortgage lending limits would remain unchanged. I note in particular the Bank's position that the mortgage measures, as part of the wider macro prudential framework, are continuing to achieve the twin objectives of contributing to overall financial stability and protecting individual borrowers. Nevertheless, the Central Bank will continue monitor developments and it indicated that it will, if necessary at a future point, adjust its macro-prudential policy tools in order to continue to safeguard the stability of the financial system and to protect consumers from excessive debt burdens.