I have come across a number of Pepper Finance mortgage holders in a very difficult predicament. Some are in performing mortgages and have never been in arrears. Others are in split mortgage arrangements but have no arrears. Some, unfortunately, had difficulty in the past but have restructured and got back on track. I know the Minister is limited in what he can do but with the likes of Pepper Finance passing on every ECB rate and more, customers now face a variable rate of 6.3%. For many, this will undo progress made and may drive others into arrears. Will the Government look at making local authority home loans available to these people?

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As he acknowledged, the Government is limited in its interventions and response to this matter because these mortgages are independently regulated by the Central Bank. Anybody whose loan book was sold to an organisation like Pepper Finance has the same consumer protection as any other loan holder. I will raise the concerns the Deputy has shared with the Central Bank and see if a response is possible from our regulator to the matter.