DUBLIN, April 30 (Reuters) - Ireland's five retail banks,
specialist and non-bank lenders agreed on Thursday to extend
loan repayment breaks for customers hit by the coronavirus
crisis to six months from three months, their representative
body said.
Over 65,000 mortgage breaks and over 22,000 business breaks
have been granted to date, the Banking and Payments Federation
Ireland (BPFI) said in a statement. Allied Irish Banks
Chief Executive told Reuters on Wednesday that its applications
for mortgage assistance had stabilised.
"BPFI members strongly appreciate the severity of the impact
on families, individuals and businesses and it is for this
reason, that we believe an extension of the existing payment
break beyond three months may be required by many customers,"
the BPFI said in a statement.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin;
Editing by Alison Williams)