Finian McGrath
Ceist:148. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Finance his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a building society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27605/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 7 July 2015
Ceisteanna (148)
Freagraí scríofa
I have been informed that the institution referred to is not refusing to deal with customers in financial difficulties. Rather in circumstances where borrowers have a difficulty it is working with those customers to implement a sustainable mortgage restructure that allows the customers to stay in their home. The institution also has policies and processes in place to ensure that it is consistent in its approach to assessing sustainable mortgage affordability for challenged customers.
I appreciate the difficult position many people find themselves in with respect to mortgage arrears but it would not be appropriate for me to intervene directly in discussions between any financial institution and a third party. It is advisable for any individual dealing with debt to seek financial and legal advice on their specific situation and on the alternative courses of remedial action that are open to them.
There are a number of sources of independent advice on dealing with debt including: the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) offer advice on dealing with mortgage debt. Their web address is https://www.mabs.ie. The Insolvency Service of Ireland, www.isi.gov.ie, offers professional advice and practical assistance in framing a personal insolvency arrangement to distressed borrowers and can be reached at the following telephone number - 076 106 4200.
In addition, a dedicated website, www.keepingyourhome.ie, has been put in place to provide information on mortgages arrears issues. There is also a Mortgage Arrears Information Helpline, which was established under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board, to provide more tailored information to individual callers. Their contact number is 0761 07 4050.
The Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) provides a strong consumer protection framework to ensure that borrowers struggling to keep up mortgage repayments are treated in a fair and transparent manner by their lender, and that long-term resolution is sought by lenders with each of their borrowers. In dealing with these difficult circumstances borrowers must be dealt with in a fair and transparent manner and on a case-by-case basis. If the person on whose behalf the Deputy raised this question is dissatisfied with the way their lender applied the CCMA, there is an appeals process and recourse to the Financial Services Ombudsman thereafter, if the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved at the appeals stage.
I would like to assure the House that both I and the Government as a whole are acutely conscious of the impact of debt on families across the country and are determined to see it resolved.