Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I will increase the minimum contribution to rent or mortgage interest supplement by €6 a week for a single person and €11 week for a couple. Curtailing access to the mortgage interest supplement scheme is consistent with the Keane report on mortgage arrears. I am determined to get value for the €500 million which the Department spends on rent supplement each year.

The amount of earnings disregarded for the purposes of the one parent family payment means test will be reduced from €146.50 per week to €130 per week next year. There are a number of other changes to the one parent family payment scheme. The scheme cost €1.1 billion in 2010, an increase from €751 million in 2005. Despite these significant levels of spending on one parent families, the results have been poor in terms of tackling poverty and providing for social inclusion.

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