Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

Will the Minister change the eligibility criteria as part of the review? If one person in a household is working more than 30 hours, he or she will not get mortgage interest supplement, regardless of how much money the household is bringing in. Does the Minister intend to make any changes to that? People are being penalised and being refused mortgage interest supplement on the basis that they should never have taken the loan out in the first place. That is placing full liability on the household who took out the loan, regardless of the fact that the banks should not have given them the loan in the first place, if it is to be considered as reckless lending. There is no responsibility being put on the banks for providing such a reckless loan, yet the person will suffer the repossession of their house because they are being refused mortgage interest supplement on that basis. Does the Minister intend to consider this and ensure it is fair?

There seems to be a difference in how the criteria have been interpreted around the country for mortgage interest supplement. Will that be changed?

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