Solicitor shortage hitting arrears service
A Government service set up to help people in mortgage arrears has said that it is difficult to find solicitors to cover all necessary court sittings.
Set up in 2016, Abhaile has been providing free financial and legal advice to borrowers to develop solutions to resolve their arrears and keep them in their homes.
Solicitors from the Abhaile panel established by the Legal Aid Board (LAB) provide a duty-solicitor service – a free legal-assistance programme in which solicitors offer advice and assistance to defendants in repossession cases at the County Registrar’s Court.
Coverage issues
In its 2025 annual report, Abhaile says that coverage issues, particularly in more remote circuits, have arisen due to the low number of solicitors on the panel who are willing and able to attend the necessary sittings.
It adds that an LAB campaign, launched in September 2025, to re-open the panel and recruit new solicitors “did not meet expectations” and did not significantly address coverage issues.
“A review will be conducted by LAB to identify reasons for the low uptake and determine steps to encourage more applications to join this panel and, thereafter, alleviate coverage issues,” Abhaile stated.
Focus on long-term arrears
Figures from the Central Bank have shown a continued reduction in the number of people struggling to meet mortgage repayments last year compared with the peak of almost 143,000 recorded in 2013.
By the end of 2025, the number of home-mortgage accounts in some level of arrears had fallen to 35,232.
Abhaile’s annual report says that it continues to focus on borrowers with long-term mortgage arrears – two years or more – including those with accounts in arrears for more than 720 days.
The body says that the wider environment for borrowers remains challenging, despite “sustained progress” in reducing arrears, citing the legacy of ECB interest-rate increases and cost-of-living pressures.
“A significant cohort of borrowers remains in deep, long-term arrears, often involving complex, protracted resolution pathways,” it states.
‘Second-round’ vouchers
Abhaile’s report shows that its DMA (dedicated mortgage arrears) advisers assisted 1,661 new borrowers during 2025.
MABS issued a total of 1,695 first- and second-round vouchers for Personal Insolvency Practitioners (PIPs) during the year, with 530 for consultations with a solicitor.
During 2025, Abhaile issued 278 second-round vouchers for expert advice to borrowers – 258 for PIPs, 19 for solicitors, and one for an accountant.
The scheme, launched in 2024, allows borrowers whose initial voucher redemption was more than three years ago – or less, in exceptional circumstances – to receive a second voucher for further advice.
MABS court mentors also attended 370 possession hearings nationwide and provided 3,242 consultations to borrowers.
Duty solicitors attended 371 court possession hearings nationwide in 2025, providing at least 1,340 consultations to unrepresented borrowers.