The mortgage market here could be set to receive a significant boost with Australian lender Pepper considering whether or not to start offering home loans in Ireland.
Pepper, which bought the mortgage book of GE Money last year, said it was actively looking at mortgage lending here.
Chief executive of Pepper Group, Patrick Tuttle, said the company would "consider originating new mortgage business in Ireland, marketing conditions permitting, thereby helping to rebuild a competitive marketplace and broaden the choice of home lending options for Irish consumers".
Consumer groups have welcomed the possibility of Pepper entering the mortgage lending market having previously been critical of banks for hiking up their variable rates despite historically low interest rates from the ECB of 0.75%.
