Bank of Scotland has confirmed to RTÉ News that it has begun to restructure debts owed by buy-to-let borrowers in Ireland in exceptional circumstances.
The lender said it was still its policy to require customers to pay their debt in full but it did work with customers to restructure their debt in bona fide cases.
Last year Bank of Scotland (Ireland) shut its branches, asked depositors to move savings and halted lending. After its lending spread it became a victim of the crash and the bank withdrew from the Irish market.
In exceptional cases the lender is now writing off part of the capital owned by buy-to-let borrowers who clearly cannot repay loans.
In these cases borrowers frequently have multiple buy-to-let properties in negative equity.
In a very small number of cases capital has been cut for owner occupiers after a forced sale has left an outstanding loan.
The lender's loans are being managed by 800 former Bank of Scotland Ireland staff who work for a new company called Certus.
Irish banks have been criticised for not facing up to loans which may never be repaid now.
The significance of Bank of Scotland's development is that a lender is now willing to restructure mortgages.
