One in 10 homeowners are behind with repayments on their mortgage, official figures have revealed.

Approval is expected at cabinet today of a €15m scheme to help those in mortgage arrears.

An insolvency expert, who was involved in a landmark High Court debt case, has urged local authorities to avail of an underused government-backed initiative to help ease the mortgage arrears crisis.

More than 36,350 home-owners in long-term arrears have little or no chance of ever repaying their mortgage, experts believe.

The number of homes in mortgage arrears for more than 90 days has fallen to a three-and-a-half-year low of 70,299.

A new report shows some banks have pushed on with legal action against struggling homeowners, even after they have agreed a repayment schedule.

The Government has been urged to again press the main banks to reduce mortgage costs for borrowers with claims that little has changed ahead of a deadline for lenders next week.

The mortgage system in Ireland has contrived to make strategic default a rational option for distressed borrowers to choose, writes Ross Maguire

There has been another fall in the number of households in mortgage arrears.

Mortgage debt write-downs are needed to help families trapped in arrears, insolvency experts told TDs.

Higher than necessary mortgage rates for borrowers act as a “drag” on the economy but any interference with lenders risks damaging the long-term prospects of banks, an analysis by the Central Bank has concluded.

Bank chiefs are set to be quizzed today on how they propose to offer families with variable rate mortgages a reprieve or otherwise face the threat of Government action.

As the Government announced new measures to deal with the mortgage arrears crisis, Joe Leogue met one young couple whose family home is under threat, with no solution sight

The Coalition has claimed a major triumph in halting the mortgage arrears crisis by curbing the power of banks to block debt deals — despite the fact that only 115 have ever been vetoed by lenders.

Garda whistleblower John Wilson claims KBC bank has initiated legal proceedings against him over six-figure mortgage arrears on his family home, which he says will force him to emigrate if he cannot find employment.

Long-awaited relief measures for borrowers struggling with debt and mortgage holders in arrears have been criticised as belated, timid, and lacking in detail.

Groups working with distressed mortgage holders have welcomed “belated” attempts by the Government to address the mortgage arrears crisis but criticised the lack of detail available so far.

A former junior finance minister who became a lobbyist for the construction industry months after losing his seat has denied that firms were too close to politicians during the boom.

A special meeting of the Cabinet will take place later on the issue of mortgage arrears.

The Government is looking at holding a special Cabinet meeting tomorrow on the issue of mortgage arrears.

Junior Finance Minister Simon Harris has warned banks to "cop on", or face losing hundreds of customers looking for better rates.

The Junior Finance Minister Simon Harris has said the Government will announce new plans to tackle the mortgage arrears crisis within the next two weeks.

Ulster Bank has unveiled a new scheme reaching out to 2000 customers in mortgage arrears who are not engaging with the bank on their debt.

New rules are being considered which would allow people to stay in their homes despite being in significant mortgage arrears.

The Government is vowing to tackle the mortgage arrears crisis ahead of the next general election.

Way back in the mists of time, while studying business at second level, one of the most basic questions set forth in a textbook was: ‘What is the role of a bank?’

As the Government seeks to turbo-charge the recovery in the Irish property market, ratings agency Fitch is predicting that the arrears crisis will continue to grow as the buy-to-let sector fuels defaults and depresses prices outside of Dublin.

The country's biggest mortgage lender says it's prepared to write off some debts for mortgage holders - but hasn't yet done so.

Bank of Ireland is squeezing struggling Irish families harder than any other bank and the result for households is “disaster”, the Dáil has been told.

The European Commission has cited a number of “possible national solutions” to the tracker problem crippling the Irish banking system in its latest report on the Irish economy — ruling out official support from either the ESM or the ECB.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said that the mortgage arrears crisis has now reached a "turning point".

Mortgage holders tied to loans with Irish Nationwide face being “thrown to the wolves” or unregulated firms and left without financial protection, it has been warned.