Which of the following must be authorised and regulated by the Insolvency Service of Ireland?

• A. Mortgage Intermediaries.
• B. Tied Mortgage Branch Agents.
• C. Debt Management Firms.
• D. Personal Insolvency Practitioners.

Answer: (D)

Insolvency in Ireland is governed by a formal framework where professionals who handle personal insolvency cases must be authorised and supervised by the Insolvency Service of Ireland. Personal Insolvency Practitioners are the specialists who guide individuals through statutory processes such as debt relief notices, debt settlement arrangements, and personal insolvency arrangements. Because these are official insolvency procedures with strict rules and oversight, the regulator responsible for authorising and regulating these practitioners is the Insolvency Service of Ireland.

Mortgage intermediaries and tied mortgage branch agents operate under the oversight of the Central Bank of Ireland, which regulates financial market participants and lending activities. Debt management firms fall under different regulatory regimes focused on consumer protection and debt services, not the insolvency regulator. Therefore, the only category that must be authorised and regulated by the Insolvency Service of Ireland is Personal Insolvency Practitioners.