By way of an update on the mortgage interest relief issue:
My contact in SOLVIT tells me that he has been assured that the French finance people will now give out the correct advice in relation to this matter.
If you need to contact the French ministry about the matter the email address is
accueil.cinr@dgi.finances.gouv.fr (Note: when I sent my original query to the ministry about this issue, I sent it in English but they responded by asking me to send it in French, so I had to translate it).
My SOLVIT contact has asked his French colleague if there is any way this information can be put on a website. When he reverts to me about this I will let ye know.
I have now received a copy of the Ministry's reply confirming the correct position.
It would therefore appear to me that the matter has now been resolved. If, despite all this, any of ye have problems with the French tax authorities whereby they do not allow the Irish mortgage interest as a deductible from the French rental income, you can always refer your complaint to SOLVIT.
If ye are re-mortgaging Irish property for the purchase of the French property, I would suggest that you get your Irish mortgage provider to state clearly that the re-mortgage is in relation to the French property, as it will undoubtedly be necessary to prove to the French authorities that the mortgage is in respect of the French property; a document from your Irish mortgage provider stating this will prove useful.