Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also have a couple of questions. There seems to be a problem with the availability of accommodation to train people for things such as Tús, certainly in my constituency. If the places are being increased, is the space available for people? Why do people on JobBridge get €50 extra when those on the Gateway and CE schemes get €20 extra? Why is that anomaly there? Why can it not be standardised one way or the other?

I have noticed the significant drop in the number of people receiving mortgage interest supplement. The number of people in mortgage arrears has increased dramatically in that same period of time. It seems as though there is a disincentive to applying for it, which is possibly the 12-month period that applies after a person gets into the mortgage arrears process. Can that be reduced to six months? We want people who need the payment to get it.

The reports on mortgage arrears by the Department and by others - I think the Keane report was one - also recommended revising the means test and allowing people who were working full time to apply for the mortgage interest supplement. People need that payment, so will the officials look further at trying to facilitate people? The opposite seems to be happening at the moment. The number of people who are qualifying for it is dropping at a time when mortgage arrears figures are climbing.