The Irish mortgage market gets even more competitive from today, as Pepper Money starts offering home loans directly to consumers.

The Australian-owned non-bank lender does not have a national branch network, with borrowers able to apply by phone or through peppermoney.ie.

Pepper had started offering mortgages in Ireland through brokers earlier this year, before establishing its new retail consumer brand.

It is focusing its attention particularly on people who are under-served by main banks, specialising in assisting switchers, buy-to-let customers, the self-employed and people with credit issues. Rates start from as low of 3.1%.

Right now, Pepper Money will only lend in Dublin and the surrounding counties of Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow, as well as Cork city, Galway city, Limerick city, Ennis, Kilkenny and Shannon.

That means if you're in the likes of Donegal, Kerry and Wateford, you're out of luck for the moment. However, the company has said that it will be looking to expand to new locations over time.

It employs over 400 people in Dublin and Shannon and is the first non-bank to enter the Irish mortgage market and the first mortgage lender in general to do so since the economic crash in 2008.