A collective sigh of relief from mortgage holders?

Mortgage arrears is a continually contested terrain, a constant battlefield between the constraining influence of moral hazard and the creative compassion of write-offs. It is a battle that is both philosophical and political, and Ireland has grappled with it since boom became bust close to a decade ago.

For 15 successive quarters, the number of people in mortgage arrears has been falling. Central Bank data shows the figure fell by 2.6 per cent ...