If you are experiencing financial difficulty, or if you are concerned about going into mortgage arrears, you should talk to your lender as soon as possible. Do not ignore the situation.

If you do not engage with your lender, your lender cannot assess your financial situation and cannot help you get back on track with your mortgage. Early engagement with your lender may prevent your financial situation from worsening.

Your lender will provide you with an information booklet that explains, amongst other things, your lender’s procedure for dealing with borrowers in financial difficulty, as well as relevant timelines. It is important that you read this carefully, and get appropriate advice if you need it, so that you are clear on the process that your lender will follow to get you back on track with your mortgage.

You will need to provide information about your overall circumstances, including your personal financial situation. The reason for this is to enable your lender assess which solutions may be appropriate and sustainable for you.

Following a review of your financial situation, your lender may offer you an alternative repayment arrangement (ARA). An ARA is a new agreement with your lender to address arrears or financial difficulties.

There are many different ARAs that your lender may be able to offer you. Your lender will explain the reasons why they are offering you a specific ARA, and also the reasons why they are not offering you other types of ARA.

The Central Bank’s clear expectation is that lenders engage with you – in line with the Consumer Protection Code and the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears – to deliver appropriate and sustainable solutions and facilitate as many borrowers as possible to return to repaying their debt.

You should also consider contacting the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) who may be able to help you. MABS is the state’s money advice service and can help you if you have problem debt, or if you feel like your debts are in danger of becoming a problem. MABS is free, confidential and independent.

The state also provides support to mortgage borrowers who are in financial difficulty. MABS will be able to advise you if you are eligible.

The Central Bank has a statutory Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) to help you if you are already or facing difficulty paying you mortgage. This CCMA is designed to protect you and lenders are legally obliged to comply with it. Under the CCMA, your lender is required to:

• Treat your case sympathetically and positively, with the aim of getting you back on track with your mortgage
• Provide dedicated and specially trained staff to manage your case. This includes having any meetings with you in private and referring you to their relevant information.
• Follow the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) which sets out how your lender must communicate with you, assess your situation with the aim of coming to a resolution.
• Have an appeals process in place so you can appeal certain decisions of your lender.

The Central Bank’s clear expectation is that lenders engage with you to deliver appropriate and sustainable solutions and facilitate as many borrowers as possible to return to repaying their debt.

However, the protections outlined in the CCMA only apply to borrowers who engage with and co-operate with their lender. This is why if you are experiencing financial difficulty, or if you are concerned about going into mortgage arrears, you should talk to your lender as soon as possible. Do not ignore the situation.

For more information see our explainer: How does the Central Bank protect me if I can’t pay my mortgage?

Central to the CCMA is the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process. This details how your lender must treat you with the aim of resolving your situation. It has the following four components:

• Communication

  This sets out how your lender communicates with you.  For example, your lender cannot contact you excessively, and must provide you with information to help you understand your situation.

• Financial information

  In order to assess your mortgage problem, your lender will need to get information from you about your personal financial situation. To do this your lender will ask you to complete a “Standard Financial Statement”. This allows your lender to see all of your monthly income and outgoings. For help completing this statement see our consumer guide.

• Assessment

  This is where your lender assesses your case and decides whether it can offer an appropriate and sustainable alternative repayment arrangement on your mortgage. Every case is different and your lender needs to carefully assess your personal financial circumstances before making this decision.

• Resolution

  This is the point at which your lender either offers you an alternative repayment arrangement or decides not to. If your lender does not offer you one, it must explain the reasons why. You can appeal this decision to your lender’s Appeals Board. 

Another important protection of the MARP is that you must be given at least eight months from the date your mortgage arrears arose, or three months from the date an alternative arrangement could not be agreed (whichever is later), before your lender can take legal proceedings against you. However, this only applies provided you co-operate with your lender.

If you are experiencing financial difficulty and engage with your lender, your lender can assess your financial situation and help you get back on track with your mortgage.

Early engagement with your lender may prevent your financial situation from worsening.

Under the Central Bank’s Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA), lenders have obligations to assist borrowers as far as possible taking into account his/her particular circumstances.

Many of the protections that the Central Bank has in place under the CCMA are only available to borrowers who are cooperating with their lender to address the arrears situation.

If you engage with your lender, your lender may offer you an alternative repayment arrangement (ARA) which is a new agreement with your lender to address arrears or financial difficulties.

If you are in arrears and don’t engage or cooperate with your lender, you risk being classified as “not cooperating.”

If this happens, your lender will notify you that you have lost the protections of the MARP.

This means your lender can start legal proceedings immediately, which could result in you losing your home.

For this reason, it is very important to always engage with your lender and continue to do so throughout the process. This includes even up to the point of repossession proceedings as under the CCMA a borrower and a lender can still agree an alternative repayment arrangement, even if legal proceedings have started.

Non-cooperation may also impact your eligibility for a Personal Insolvency Arrangement in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out in the Personal Insolvency Act 2012. In addition, your lender may impose charges and/or surcharge interest on arrears arising on your mortgage account.

If you are a joint borrower and notify your lender in writing that you have separated or divorced, your lender must treat each of you as a single borrower under the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA), except to the extent that an action requires, as a matter of law, the agreement of both borrowers.

Under the CCMA, lenders have obligations to assist borrowers as far as possible taking into account his/her particular circumstances.

When assessing your case, your lender must treat you positively and sympathetically, and must communicate with you promptly in a way that is clear and easy-to-understand, proportionate and not excessive.

Your lender must seek information about your overall circumstances, including your personal financial situation and will assess which solutions may be appropriate and sustainable for your individual circumstances.

 Where you are in arrears, or are concerned about going into arrears, your lender is obliged to provide you with a copy of its Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP). This includes:

You can also consult your lender’s website for details on how they manage mortgage arrears and what solutions they offer to borrowers in financial difficulty, or who are concerned about going into mortgage arrears.

Lenders must treat your case sympathetically and positively, with the aim of getting you back on track with your mortgage. Lenders must engage proportionately with you, and not in a manner that is excessive, aggressive, intimidating or harassing. Lenders have to provide you with sufficient time to complete an action before they follow up with you on the status of that action, and agree with you how future communications will be managed.

Under the Central Bank’s Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA), each lender has an obligation to assess your full circumstances including:

• Your personal circumstances
• Your overall indebtedness
• The information you provide in the standard financial statement
• Your current repayment capacity
• Your previous repayment history.

Lenders have obligations to assist you as far as possible taking into account your particular circumstances.

If you are in financial difficulty or are concerned about going into mortgage arrears, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) may also be able to help you.

A Standard Financial Statement (SFS) is a document which your lender will use to obtain financial information from you in order to complete an assessment of your circumstances.

The SFS is used by your lender when assessing your case to decide whether it is possible to offer you an ARA and what type of arrangement is appropriate and sustainable for your circumstances.

The Central Bank has published a guide to assist you with completing the SFS.

Your lender also has an obligation to offer to explain the SFS to you. In addition, your lender has obligations to:

• Provide you with the SFS at the earliest appropriate opportunity
• Offer to assist you with completing the SFS
• Inform you that you may wish to seek independent advice to assist you in completing the standard financial statement, for example, from MABS or an appropriate alternative.

An alternative repayment arrangement (ARA) is a new agreement with your lender to address your financial difficulties. The purpose of an ARA is to help you get back on track with your mortgage.

Following a review of your circumstances, your lender may offer you an ARA.

ARAs may include:

• Interest only repayments on the mortgage for a specified period of time
• Permanently reducing the interest rate on the mortgage, or temporarily reducing the interest rate on the mortgage for a specified period of time
• An arrangement to pay interest and part of the normal capital amount for a specified period of time
• Deferring payment of all or part of the scheduled mortgage repayment for a specified period of time
• Extending the term of the mortgage
• Other, as deemed appropriate by the lender.

In order to determine which ARA may be appropriate and sustainable for your individual financial circumstances, your lender has an obligation to explore all of the options for ARAs offered by them.

It is a commercial decision for each lender to decide what ARAs it may offer to borrowers in financial distress.

The Central Bank’s clear expectation is that lenders engage with you – in line with the CCMA – to offer an appropriate and sustainable solutions, where possible and facilitate you to return to repaying your mortgage.

Prior to completing the full assessment of your SFS, your lender may agree with you to put a temporary ARA in place where a delay in putting an appropriate and sustainable ARA in place would further exacerbate your financial difficulties or arrears situation.

If your lender offers you an ARA, your lender has an obligation to explain any financial costs that may arise.

If there are financial costs, these can be reduced if you pay as much as you can towards your mortgage. Your lender will explain to you how you can reduce your financial costs.

Paying as much as you can at any time, even if this is a small amount, can reduce your longer term cost of credit.

Your cost of credit is the difference between the amount you borrow and the total amount you repay over the lifetime of the loan. Cost of credit can be influenced by interest charged, fees, repayment frequency, the term of your loan and other charges.

If you lender offers you an ARA, it must provide you with a clear explanation, in writing, of how the ARA works, including:

• The new mortgage repayment amount
• The length of time that the ARA will be in place
• The implications, if any, arising from the ARA for the existing mortgage including the impact on the mortgage term, the balance outstanding on the mortgage loan account, and the existing arrears on the account, if any
• Details of any residual mortgage debt remaining at the end of the ARA
• How interest will be applied to your mortgage loan account as a result of the ARA.

Your lender will also advise the reasons why the ARA offered is considered to be appropriate and sustainable for you by reference to your individual circumstances, and must also advise the advantages of the offer to you, as well as explaining any disadvantages.

Your lender will also explain to you, in writing, the reasons why it does not consider other ARAs to be appropriate and sustainable for you.

You should take appropriate independent legal and/or financial advice on the ARA that your lender offers you. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) may also be able to advise you.

If your circumstances change after agreeing an alternative arrangement, including if they improve, you should let your lender know as soon as possible. The arrangement you are on might not be appropriate any longer, so they will review and consider what other options are available.

It is a requirement of the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears that your lender must carry out a review of an ARA at any time, if requested by you.

Yes. Your lender must have an Appeals Board where you can appeal their decision to:

• Offer you an ARA that you do not agree with
• Refuse to offer you an ARA
• Classify you as not co-operating.

In all of the above situations, your lender must explain to you the reasons for their decision in writing. You lender must also inform you (amongst other things) of the other options available to you, such as voluntary surrender, mortgage to rent or voluntary sale and the implications of each option for you and your mortgage loan account and the importance of seeking independent advice in relation to these options.

The Appeals Board is made up of three of the lender’s senior personnel who have not yet been involved in your case. At least one member of the Appeals Board must be independent of the management team and must not be involved in lending matters.

Any appeal to your lender’s Appeals Board must be made in writing and your lender must acknowledge receipt of that appeal in writing within five business days of the appeal being received and provide you with the name of one or more individuals appointed to be your point of contact in relation to your appeal.

A lender must allow you a reasonable period of time to consider submitting an appeal. At a minimum, this must be 20 business days from the date you were notified of your lender’s decision to classify you as not co-operating, or its decline to offer you an ARA, or its decision to offer you an ARA but where you are not willing to enter that ARA.

Your lender then has maximum 40 business days to consider and adjudicate on your appeal.

Following the decision of the Appeals Board being made, your lender then has a maximum of five business days to notify you in writing of the decision of the Appeals Board and to explain to you the reasons for the decision and the terms of any offer being made.

If you are not satisfied with the Appeals Board decision, you have the right to refer the matter to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO). You lender must advise you of this right, and provide you with the contact details for the FSPO.

No, the Central Bank has no remit over individual credit decisions made by lenders. These are commercial decisions for each lender, and the Central Bank does not have the mandate or ability to compel a lender to provide an alternative repayment arrangement to particular borrowers in any circumstance.

As lenders are commercial entities, each lender will determine its own credit appetite, policies and procedures for assessing credit applications from borrowers, including borrowers that are in financial distress.

However the Central Bank’s clear expectation is that lenders engage with you to deliver appropriate and sustainable solutions and facilitate as many borrowers as possible to return to repaying their debt.

If you are unhappy with the decision of your lender, you can appeal that decision to your lender’s appeals board. Your lender must provide you with a copy of its MARP, which explains how you can lodge an appeal.

If you are not satisfied with the Appeals Board decision, you have a right to refer the matter to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO). You lender must advise you of this right, and must also provide you with the contact details of the Ombudsman.

The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) is an independent, impartial, fair and free service that helps resolve complaints with pension providers and regulated financial services providers.

Unlike the Central Bank, and in the case of mortgages, the FSPO has a legal ability and mandate to investigate and resolve individual borrower complaints against lenders.

Your lender may classify you as “not co-operating” if:

• You fail to make a full and honest disclosure of information to your lender that would have a significant impact on your financial situation.
• You fail to provide information, relevant to your financial situation, within the timeline required by the lender.
• You have not entered into an alternative repayment arrangement within three months, and during this time you have failed to meet your mortgage repayments in full in accordance with the mortgage contract; or you meet your mortgage repayments in full in accordance with your mortgage contract but have an arrears balance remaining on your mortgage.
• You have entered into an alternative repayment arrangement but during the following three months, you have failed to meet in full repayments as specified in the terms of your alternative repayment arrangement and have failed to make contact with, or respond to any communications from your lender or a third party acting on your lender’s behalf or
• Have engaged in such a way that does not enable your lender to complete an assessment of your circumstances.

The implications of being classified as not cooperating are serious. Being classified as not cooperating means that your lender may commence legal proceedings to repossess your home (or property) immediately.

If you are classified as not co-operating by your lender, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) may be able to advise you.

Your lender is restricted from imposing charges and/or surcharge interest on arrears arising on a mortgage account in arrears to which the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) applies, unless you have been classified as “not co-operating.”

Your lender must have a dedicated section on its website for borrowers in, or concerned about, financial difficulties which must include information on the level of charges that may be imposed on borrowers who are not co-operating with the lender.

In addition, when arrears arise on a borrower’s mortgage loan account and remain outstanding 31 calendar days from the date the arrears arose, a lender must outline the implications for the borrower of not co-operating including the imposition of charges and/or surcharge interest on arrears arising on a mortgage account and details of such charges.

Under the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA), lenders have obligations to assist you as far as possible in dealing with your financial difficulties, taking into account your particular circumstances.

The steps a lender must follow prior to commencing repossession proceedings are outlined in the CCMA, and must be adhered to by lenders.

It’s in your interest to engage with your lender. If you are in arrears, and not co-operating with your lender, you are at an increased risk of having your property repossessed.

If you do not engage with your lender, your lender cannot assess your financial situation and cannot help you get back on track with your mortgage.

Your lender may commence legal proceedings for repossession of your home where you are in arrears but only where: 

• Your lender has made every reasonable effort to agree an ARA with you and,
• You have been given at least eight months from the date your mortgage arrears arose, or three months from the date an alternative arrangement could not be agreed (whichever is later)
• You have been classified as not cooperating under the CCMA and have been notified of this.

If you are this situation, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) may be able to advise you.

The Central Credit Register (CCR) is a system for collecting personal and credit information on loans of €500 or more.

The CCR provides factual information, to lenders and borrowers, on a borrower’s credit history, including details of a borrower’s overall indebtedness and their payment track record, such as payments made and payments missed.

Lenders must report accurate, complete and up to date information to the CCR, and the Central Bank’s role is to match that information to create a credit report.

Lenders and borrowers can apply for credit reports.

Lenders use this information so that they can better understand a borrower’s overall financial position, which enables them assess a person’s ability to repay their current and proposed borrowings.

It is in the interests of lenders and borrowers that lenders provide credit in a manner that is responsible, and does not expose the lender or borrower to undue risk.

The CCR does not produce credit scores or a credit rating – it contains no guidance, recommendation or prohibition for lenders on what decision they should make on a borrowers credit application.

It is a matter for each lender to make their own lending decision in accordance with its own credit policies and risk appetite, subject to applicable law and regulatory requirements.

For more information and to apply for your credit report visit the Central Credit Register website.

Many borrowers have been impacted by COVID-19. Through no fault of their own, people’s ability to repay their debts was impacted as incomes reduced, and businesses were forced to close or change their business models due to stay at home orders.

Restructuring of debts, including mortgages, will be a normal and natural consequence of COVID-19.

Restructuring of debt may assist you meet your financial obligations, including the full repayment of your debt into the future.

If you agree a restructure with your lender as a result of financial distress, for example an extension to the term of your loan to allow you make lower repayments, this will be reported to the Central Credit Register and included on your credit report.

If you want to add an explanatory statement to their credit report, to explain any entry that is on their credit record, you can do so at any time.

It is important to note that the Central Credit Register does not produce credit scores or credit ratings, nor does it contain guidance on what decision a lender should make on a borrower’s credit application.

It is a matter for each lender to make their own lending decision in accordance with their own credit policies and risk appetite, subject to applicable law and regulatory requirements.

Yes. If your lender sells your mortgage to another entity, the new legal owner must be regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and you continue to be protected by the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA). Your rights under the CCMA, including the right of an internal appeal, do not change.

The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme is a government scheme to help homeowners who are at risk of losing their homes due to mortgage arrears. It lets homeowners in mortgage difficulty switch from owning their home to renting their home as social housing tenants. The scheme is overseen by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and is administered by the Housing Agency.

The MTR scheme is a social housing option only available if you are eligible for social housing support and your mortgage is unsustainable.

Under the scheme, you voluntarily surrender ownership of your home to your mortgage lender. You no longer own your home or have any financial interest in it, but you can continue to live there as a tenant of the local authority or approved housing body. You pay an affordable rent, which is based on your income.

If your financial situation improves, you have an option to buy your home back.

You can approach your lender and ask to be considered for MTR.

The Abhaile service can assist you with this.

Yes, all lenders are continuing to process applications for mortgages.

"Mortgage approval in principal" is where a lender states how much money it is prepared to lend you based on an initial assessment of your financial situation for example, your savings, income, outstanding loans, employment status etc.

However mortgage approval in principle is not a formal loan offer or contract. Once you have found a property, you will then need to request a "formal letter of offer" from the lender.

Before issuing you with the letter of offer, your lender is required to undertake a full assessment of your individual circumstances. These requirements are designed to protect you, so that lenders fully assess that the loan is still suitable for your needs and affordable for you, based on your individual circumstances.

As part of your lender's assessment they will check that your financial situation has not changed since receiving mortgage approval in principal. If your financial situation has changed, for example due to COVID-19, this may impact on your application. For example you could be approved for a lower mortgage amount, or your application could be declined. This is a commercial decision for your lender to make, following their assessment.

If you already have a letter of offer and are ready to draw down your mortgage, your lender may also ask whether there has been any change in your circumstances, for example, due to COVID-19. If so, your lender may re-assess your application to determine if the loan is still suitable and affordable for you.

Your lender can refuse the draw down of the mortgage where it has concerns about your ability to repay. If your lender decides not to progress with your mortgage, it must inform you of this decision without delay, explain why your application has been refused and provide these reasons in writing if requested.

The Central Bank has written to lenders outlining its expectation that mortgage lenders clearly communicate with customers at all stages of the mortgage application process, including those customers who have already received loan offers. Mortgage lenders must make clear to customers that where there has been any material change to the customer's circumstances prior to the drawdown of funds, the loan offer may subsequently be withdrawn, paused or varied. At a minimum, this communication must be included in the loan offer letter.

View Dear CEO Letter

Lenders have supports in place to help you if you have been affected by COVID-19. However if you are not happy with your lenders decision you can make a formal complaint to your lender directly.

If you are still unsatisfied with the response you get, you can progress your complaint with the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman.

For more about making a complaint see Complaints” section below.

Contact your provider, firms must engage positively.

If you are concerned about the impact that the COVID-19 crisis may have on your insurance policies (for example, you are unable to repay premiums, or you have concerns about renewing your policy), you should contact your insurance provider (insurance firm or broker) to discuss.

If you are uncertain whether your health or travel insurance policies offer particular cover, your insurance provider can advise on the specifics of your policy.

Insurance firms must have processes in place to engage positively with you if you are experiencing difficulties in the payment of premiums because of COVID-19.

We expect firms to communicate in a clear, transparent manner to you about the levels of cover provided by individual insurance policies. Firms should prominently display on their websites the key relevant information about COVID-19 and contact details should you have any queries.

If firms are making changes to terms and conditions to insurance policies going forward, they need to make consumers and intermediaries aware of the changes made and the potential impact the changes could have on future claims.

Firms should prominently display on their websites the key relevant information about COVID-19 and contact details should you have any queries.

Firms must offer a fair settlement arrangement if you are entitled to one under your policy.

Insurance firms are required to take account of the challenging situation in which many of their customers find themselves and to put forward consumer–focused solutions for insurance payment breaks, policy rebates and claims in light of the emergency. This is in line with the Central Bank expectations of both life and general insurance firms (including travel insurance). Firms must proactively communicate in a clear, transparent manner to customers about the levels of cover provided by individual insurance policies.

In relation to insurance claims, firms must ensure that any settlement offer made to you is fair, takes into account all relevant factors and represents the firm’s best estimate of your reasonable entitlement under the policy. Firms must ensure that they handle claims effectively and properly.

Although we expect that most policy wordings are clear in terms of what cover is provided and what is excluded, where there is a doubt about the meaning of a term, the interpretation most favourable to you should prevail. Firms must ensure that claims are appropriately assessed and where there is insurance cover in place that claims are accepted and paid promptly.

We expect all firms to offer to assist you in the process of making a claim including, where relevant, alerting you to policy terms and conditions that may be of benefit to you.

Firms must ensure that claims are appropriately assessed and where there is insurance cover in place, claims are accepted and paid.

Yes—if your health insurance policy includes private hospital cover.

As part of the state's response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Department of Health, Health Service Executive and the Private Hospital Association reached an agreement for private hospitals to come under public control for a period of at least three months, starting from 30 March.

This means that private hospital cover, which is a significant benefit of most private health insurance products, will not be available to private health insurance customers for the duration of this agreement.

The Central Bank of Ireland wrote to the Chairs and CEOs of regulated insurance firms on 27 March requiring them to put forward consumer-focused solutions for insurance payment breaks, policy rebates and claims in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Following this, Vhi Healthcare, LAYA Healthcare and Irish Life Health have announced that they are to return value to their customers affected by the private hospital agreement.

You should contact your insurance provider to discuss your options before making any changes to your policy or cancelling it. It is important to note the following:

• If you cancel a policy mid-term, you may have to pay a cancellation fee.
• If you switch providers mid-term, your old insurer may ask you to pay the government health levy upfront.
• If you cancel your policy now and take out new insurance post COVID-19, your new insurer may apply a "waiting period", which means you do not get any benefits on your new plan until a period of time has passed.

Before you make any decision, you may wish to read more information from the Health Insurance Authority.

This will depend on your policy - so check with your insurance provider first.

In some health insurance policies for example, your insurer may apply a "waiting period", which means you do not get any benefits on your new plan until a period of time has passed.

Your insurer should inform you of how your refund will be handled.

You should contact your insurer for details of any premium refunds, waivers or other ways of returning value to you. Your insurer should also inform you of how this will be handled. Your insurer can also advise you on the range of benefits and services they continue to provide through this period.

Most firms websites will be able to answer these questions for you immediately. However, check your policy details and contact your insurance provider directly if you are still unclear. For example, COVID-19 will not be one of the specified illnesses cover under a specified illness plan, however you may be able to able to claim for a condition arising from COVID-19 if it is one of the specified illness in your policy.

Income protection cover replaces income where you are unable to work medically (illness or injury) but does not cover redundancy or unemployment.

Life cover pays out when whoever is covered under a policy dies.

The Central Bank wrote to the Chairs and CEOs of regulated insurance firms on 27 March requiring them to put forward consumer-focused solutions for insurance payment breaks, policy rebates and claims in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Following this, a number of motor insurers announced that they are offering their customers refunds or discounts to reflect an expected lower level of claims due to the travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 emergency.

You should contact your insurer or insurance broker for details of any premium refunds or discounts you may be due. Your insurer should also inform you of how this will be handled.

Check with your insurance provider. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are in self-isolation, your application may be deferred until you have fully recovered and have been given the all-clear.

Anyone who applies for cover as normal, may be asked for additional medical evidence. Your insurer will use this to assess your application and decide if you should be given cover. This may take longer than usual because of COVID-19.

If your claim was rejected, under the Consumer Protection Code firms must explain the reason why in writing and give you details of how you can appeal the decision.

For information about making a complaint see "Complaints" section below.

Euro notes and coins (i.e. cash) have legal tender status in Ireland. However, by law a retailer does not have to accept them as a form of payment when the retailer has specified in advance that it will only accept other payments such as debit or credit cards.

If a retailer does not specify clearly in advance the type of payment it is prepared to accept, the retailer must accept cash.

The Central Bank is responsible for making sure there is an efficient and effective payment and settlement systems in Ireland, both electronic and cash. It does this so that consumers and businesses can have a choice of payment methods appropriate to the transaction types. The Central Bank supports choice for consumers in retail outlets, particularly for low value transactions.

Regarding the impact of COVID-19 (and cash safety), we have been advised that the risk of infection with banknotes is no greater than other kinds of surface that people come into contact with in daily life.

Alternative arrangements should be put in place.

We are working constructively with all the sectors we regulate, recognising the challenges they face to maintain continuity of business and provision of service to customers in light of the global public health emergency caused by COVID-19.

Our core focus is on ensuring that the financial system can continue to provide services to households and businesses at this difficult time. We also expect regulated firms to have appropriate contingency plans in place to be able to deal with major operational events should they occur.

The retail banks and credit unions have business continuity plans, including contingency plans, in place on how to assist consumers if there are branch or office closures due to business disruption.

We expect banks and credit unions to have alternative arrangements in place so that they can continue to provide services to you, including information on how to access banking and credit union services if some branches have to close. We will continue to work with banks and credit unions to ensure that where they have to take the decision to close offices or certain branches, that consumers who do not have online facilities will be able to avail of an alternative means to access their account. We expect firms to communicate with you to let you know how you can access their services.

Alternative arrangements should be put in place.

We expect regulated firms to have appropriate contingency plans in place to be able to deal with major operational events, should they occur, and we are engaged with firms across the financial system to ensure that firms are responding effectively to the evolving situation.

We expect credit unions and banks to have alternative arrangements in place so that they can continue to provide services to you, including information on how to access banking services if some branches have to close. We will continue to work with credit unions and banks to ensure that where they have to take the decision to close certain offices or branches, consumers who do not have online facilities will be able to avail of an alternative means to access their account. We expect firms to communicate with you to let you know how you can access their services.

Your bank may have priority hours in branches for elderly or vulnerable customers to ensure you can access your local branch when it is less crowded. Banks are also helping customers who are cocooning to manage their banking in a safe way without leaving their home and have dedicated phone lines to assist cocooning customers during the COVID-19 crisis.

You may also be able to nominate another person you trust to help with your banking on a temporary basis. However, is important to keep control of your own money as much as possible and to reverse any temporary arrangement when assistance is no longer required from another person.

Contact your provider, appropriate contingency plans should be put in place.

Regulated payment institutions and e-money institutions are required to protect users’ funds in accordance with the applicable legislation. This requirement is designed to protect these funds in the event of the failure or insolvency of the firm.

We expect regulated firms to have appropriate contingency plans in place to be able to deal with major operational events, should they occur, and we are working with the financial sector to ensure that firms are responding effectively to the evolving situation. If issues arise you should contact your service provider in the first instance.

The Deposit Guarantee Scheme protects depositors in the event of a bank or credit union authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland being unable to repay deposits. It remains operational throughout the COVID-19 crisis and is contactable via itswebsite.

See also

• Deposit Guarantee Scheme

The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in greater market "volatility" or uncertainty - this can mean significant losses for retail clients. Typically, investments are long term products, and short term investments can perform poorly - in good times and bad - even in relatively stable, less volatile market conditions.

Firms are required to monitor and evaluate the products they sell and to take into account changes to your risk profile as a result of COVID-19. Products that may have been considered suitable for sale to you previously, may no longer be suitable in the current climate.

When firms provide you with investment advice or make investment decisions on your behalf, they must:

• Act in your best interests at all times (including ensuring sales staff are not incentivised into meeting targets that may result in an unsuitable sale to you)
• Make sure that the product they recommend suits you (through a thorough assessment of your individual situation and needs)
• Explain the potential disadvantages/risks as well as the potential benefits of the investment
• Consider your risk tolerance levels
• Make sure that any communications they give you are clear, factual, informative and balanced

View ESMA Statement - Episodes of very high volatility in trading of certainstocks.

Some clients may seek to purchase risky and complex investment products without advice. Under regulations, firms must assess your knowledge and experience to determine whether the product is appropriate for you.

Firms must issue a clear warning to you if they consider that the product is not appropriate for you. You should familiarise yourself with the investment product, its features and its risks. You should also strongly consider any warning issued by the firm and whether you can afford to lose the money you invested.

Contracts for Difference (CFDs) are complex, leveraged, derivative instruments which enable investors to speculate on the short-term price movements of an underlying reference asset.

The Central Bank is aware and concerned that trading activity in CFDs has increased during this period of heightened volatility.

We previously released a statementhighlighting these types of products, addressing the risks for retail clients investing in such complex and risky products and the new protections we introduced for investors in CFDs.

These included:

• Limits on excessive levels of leverage so that retail investors cannot lose more money than they put into their CFD account
• A prohibition on the use of incentives by a CFD provider
• A standardised risk warning on these short-term, speculative products.

We have been engaging with investment firms to make sure they are operating effectively and with sufficient staff to manage your queries and complaints (within an appropriate amount of time).

We have also reminded firms that they need to display key information prominently on their website. This includes information on COVID-19, relevant contact details and any operational changes that could impact you.

The Central Bank regulates investment providers and advisers. To operate legally in Ireland, they must first meet certain standards to be authorised and to continue in business.

You can search our registers to get a list of providers who are operating in Ireland and authorised by the Central Bank. This does not include firms operating cross border, who are authorised in other countries.

The Central Bank website also has warning notices on firms who are not authorised to provide such services, and more up-to-date information on scams.

You may wish to refer to the Competition and Consumer Protection, to get more information on how to choose an advisor and the types of services and investments they can provide. Doing your research first, including reading any material provided by your provider, will help you make a more informed decision.

The Central Bank does not settle individual disputes about financial services or advice. You must first make a formal complaint to your provider directly.

If you are not happy with the response and are still concerned about the financial advise you have been given, you can then make a complaint to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman. (If your provider is authorised and regulated outside Ireland, you will need to complain to the relevant Ombudsman/ authority in their home country).

The Central Bank may consider taking further action and continually engages with the Financial Service and Pensions Ombudsman on such cases, where there is significant consumer risk.

The Central Bank regulates firms who provide investment advice/sell investment products and make decisions on your behalf and operate in Ireland. Cross border firms are authorised and regulated by their home country regulator.

We expect that investment firms will continue to maintain high standards in protecting you during this time. This includes taking account of the challenges you face, by showing additional flexibility and putting forward consumer-focused solutions wherever possible. We are continually engaging with firms to make sure they are identifying and mitigating all risks to clients as a result of this unprecedented situation. This includes protecting client money, where relevant.

Despite the current challenges facing firms, it is important to us that you continue to get the same levels of investor protection during this period, as required under regulations. The Central Bank is monitoring the situation closely, and is ready to take necessary action in order to protect your interests.

See also:

• Explainer - What compensation schemes protect consumers of authorised firms?

During the COVID-19 pandemic fraudsters are finding increasingly sophisticated ways to target us. They are using social media, fake websites and copying legitimate firms' details to trick us into parting with our money and personal data.

Find out how to avoid getting scammed with our explainer and infographic.

If you are unhappy with the service received from a firm which is regulated by the Central Bank, you are entitled to make a complaint with the firm concerned.

The firm must handle the complaint in accordance with the relevant complaints handling provisions of the Central Bank's Consumer Protection Code. The Consumer Protection Code requires firms to handle complaints speedily, efficiently and fairly.

For more information read our advice onhow to make a complaint about a financial services provider.

If you are not happy with the response you receive from the firm, you are entitled to escalate your complaint to theFinancial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO), who has the statutory powers to investigate complaints against financial services providers.

Please be aware that the FSPO will only consider a case once the internal complaints procedure within the firm concerned has been followed.

See also

• How do I complain about a financial services firm?