Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Okay. Head 10, in respect of section 133 refers to the deferral and the phasing out of the adjustment of the income for mortgage interest payments.

I want to understand the basis or grounds for phasing out that allowance or adjustment of the mortgage interest payment. Who will this phasing out apply to? It seems from my read of it that anybody who will be newly paying the local property tax will not now be eligible to adjust their income for the mortgage interest payment. That seems most unfair given that a whole raft of households who were not paying since 2013 will now be paying. There is a large degree of uncertainty for certain households this year and going into next year, given the pandemic and having been badly hit by it, with regard to their household income. They may be saddled with a significant mortgage. I would like to hear a little bit more about the rationale for phasing out that allowance or adjustment and who precisely it will affect or apply to.