THE ABHAILE SCHEME will be extended until the end of 2027, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced today.

Both ministers received approval to the extension this week after an independent review found there was a “continued need” for the service to remain in place to help debtors in “long-term arrears”.

According to a statement from both ministers home mortgage arrears have fallen, but those long term arrears remains significant – with latest figures showing 48,750 mortgage accounts are in arrears in the state.

Just under 40% (37% or 18,418) of mortgage accounts in arrears have been so for more than two years, according to the pair.

The statement said: “This four-year extension of the Abhaile service is also supported by the commitment in the current Programme for Government to continue to fund Abhaile and ensures the continued availability of free and expert support and advice to those who need it most.”

The scheme, which was previously extended in 2019 and again in 2022, offers free financial and legal support to those in “serious mortgage arrears”.

Abhaile has assisted 26,400 households since its commencement in 2016, with 85% of the households now have a solution in place or “on the path to doing so”.

With reporting from Christina Finn