Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Last year 4,111 people benefited from the scheme. This year 7,000 have benefited already, and probably many more will have benefited by the end of this month. I indicated that of course I will continue to review it — I refer particularly to the mortgage interest one because it is only in these months that we are seeing an increase in its use — to see whether the scheme is effective, is meeting people's needs and is being applied fairly throughout the country.

The amendment merely seeks a report and it is not appropriate to provide for that in legislation. I do not dispute many of the points that have been made about the financial institutions, about the importance of the scheme and about the impact it can have on families and on communities, but I do not propose to accept the amendment.

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