COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 14, 2012

QUESTION NO. 12

QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney

To ask the Manager to report on how many households are in distress with a Local Authority Loan/Mortgage in the SDCC area; what proportion of the total loan book this applies to; what supports are offered to households in such distress; what, if any, legal actions have been taken by SDCC to date; and to make a statement on the matter?

REPLY:

There are currently 146 council loan accounts showing more than then 3 months arrears of repayment (90 days is the standard used by Central Bank) and this represents 12% of the council’s loan book.

The council has a dedicated Loan Arrears Section which monitors all loan accounts and deals with customers who are experiencing difficulties in making their repayments. The staff in this section operate a policy of early intervention where accounts are falling into arrears and advises and works with customers who are in financial difficulty.

 Mutually acceptable repayment arrangements are made in all cases to clear arrears over time by installments i.e.: the monthly payment plus an amount to clear arrears.

 Each case is treated individually and on its merits with the individual circumstances dictating the arrangement made.

 Legal proceedings are taken only where clients do not cooperate with the Council or continuously make and break arrangements. Repossession happens only as a very last resort where all efforts over a protracted period have failed and the client totally fails or refuses to meet the council half way in addressing the arrears problem.

 The Council has repossessed 8 properties since 2008 for arrears of mortgage repayments.