720-day mortgage arrears buck falling trend in Ireland

The number of mortgages in arrears fell for the sixth consecutive quarter at the end of last year but those in long-term arrears of more than two years continued to rise.

More than 110,300 homeowners were in arrears at the end of 2014 representing a decrease of 6.4% on the previous quarter.

Similarly, primary dwelling mortgages (PDH) in arrears of more than 90 days continued to fall as a 7.4% decline saw 78,700 borrowers in this cohort at the end of the year.