[FONT="]P[/FONT][FONT="]art of the over-indebtedness of households in this crisis comes from the presence of additional secured or unsecured borrowings from multiple sources. A cap on mortgage LTI does not deal with this aspect and could result in leakage through additional non-mortgage borrowing, frustrating the aims of the measure. One theoretical approach to this problem of potential leakage would be to apply a ceiling also to the household’s total debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. Such ratios take into account a borrower’s total debt and are therefore, if they can be enforced, more effective in constraining the build-up of household debt. However, this ratio requires a comprehensive view of all a borrower’s debts, which has been more difficult for the lender to obtain reliably given the absence in Ireland of a Central Credit Register. The necessary legislation to underpin such a Register is now in place and the Central Bank is creating a Register, which is expected to become operational in early 2016.[/FONT][FONT="]1[/FONT][FONT="]1 [/FONT][FONT="]T[/FONT][FONT="]h[/FONT][FONT="]e new Credit Register will be another important step in enhancing the functioning of a well-regulated and stable mortgage lending market in Ireland and will allow for further consideration of macro-prudential tools such as DTI and DSTI in future. Pending the availability of this Register, it would be premature to attempt to establish realistically enforceable regulations on total debt. Lenders must nevertheless seek to inform themselves about total borrower indebtedness and limit their lending accordingly, as per their requirements under the Consumer Protection Code 2012.[/FONT]