COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 12, 2011

QUESTION NO. 24

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager for a Report on the number of persons with house/home loans from the Council, how many have fallen into arrears with repayments, and the approach adopted by the Council, as a lender, in working with mortgage holders who are experiencing repayment difficulties?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council has a policy of early intervention for mortgage accounts that fall into arrears. The Council is committed to working with our customers who are currently experiencing financial problems, or feel they may soon experience problems with their mortgage repayments.

South Dublin County Council has a dedicated mortgage arrears section who will work with our customers who are experiencing problems with their mortgage repayments. Our staff can discuss the customers circumstances with a view to making an arrangement for a payment agreement of the customers mortgage that is both suitable to the customer and the Council. Each case is dealt with on an individual basis.

In cases where customers continually do not make payments on their account; continually fail to maintain agreed arrangements or fail to co-operate with the Council the Council will have no choice but to commence legal proceedings. It must be stressed that legal proceedings are taken only a last resort and usually after all other options have been exhhuasted.

There are 126 accounts in arrears greater than 3 months, this represents 10% of all current housing loan accounts.