268. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the action being taken to protect mortgage holders whose loans have been sold to non-bank entities and who are being charged interest rates in excess of 6%; if any assessment has been made of the link between these rates and the rise in early arrears; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67903/26]

269. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of principal dwelling home mortgage accounts in arrears that are held by credit servicing firms and other non-bank entities; the average interest rate applied to these accounts compared with accounts held by retail banks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67902/26]

270. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of principal dwelling home mortgage accounts that entered early arrears (under 90-days) in each of the last four quarters; the number of these classified as first-time arrears cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67901/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 268, 269 and 270 together.

The number of mortgage accounts in early arrears at the end of each quarter can be found in the Central Bank of Ireland's Mortgage Arrears Statistics data.

The Central Bank does not publish the number of principal dwelling house (PDH) mortgages that enter early arrears each quarter, nor the number of these in arrears for the first time.

Below is a summary of early arrears data by quarter:

The number of PDH accounts in arrears that are held by credit servicing firms and other non-bank entities was 20,814 at end-June 2026, down from 23,813 at end-June 2025.

The Central Bank also publishes data on mortgage interest rate distributions. The data can be found on the Frontier Statistics section of the Central Bank's website at www.centralbank.ie/statistics/frontierstatistics/mortgage-interest-rate-distributions.

As of June 2026, the median interest rates on outstanding PDH mortgages for banks, lending non-banks, and non-lending non-banks were:

• Banks: 3.50%

• Lending non-banks: 3.65%

• Non-lending non-banks: 3.40%

A breakdown of interest rate data for only those accounts in arrears is not published. Similarly, my Department is not aware of any assessment of a potential link between such interest rates and early arrears.

The European Central Bank is responsible for monetary policy in the euro area. Having declined in stages since summer 2024, with two recent increases in June and September of 0.25%, its main lending rate is now 2.65%.

While changes in the level of official interest rates will feed through to the wider economy, it does not have a uniform impact on the level of retail interest rates. In a market economy the determination of retail and business lending rates is a commercial matter for individual creditors.

The most recent Central Bank data shows the weighted average interest rate on new mortgages issued by banks in July 2026 was 3.48% (down from 3.60% a year earlier). This is below the Euro Area average of 3.54%.

The Central Bank, through its regulatory framework, offers protection for consumers and requires that all regulated entities, including banks, retail credit firms and credit servicing firms, are transparent and fair in all their dealings with borrowers.