New figures show the number of mortgage accounts, on principal dwellings, in arrears has dropped for the 12th consecutive quarter.

According to figures from the Central Bank, more than 82,000 accounts were in arrears at end of the second quarter of this year.

This represents a drop of 4.5% compared with the first quarter of 2016 and it accounts for 11% of all mortgages on principal homes in Ireland.

The figures also show that the number of accounts in arrears for more than 90 days at the end of June stood at 57,000, marking a drop of 3.6%.