Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

This looks to be a technical amendment. Certain sections will enter into operation at some future point, in that the Minister "may appoint by order or orders either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision, and different days may be so appointed for different purposes or different provisions", but the full list of what is being facilitated by the amendment includes the changes to jobseeker's benefit and mortgage interest supplement in particular. I noted that the Minister concentrated on the changes that were, in many ways, logical. In the case of jobseeker's benefit and mortgage interest supplement, however, there has been little engagement with the sectors that help those who are in mortgage distress and must avail of mortgage interest supplement.

I do not know whether many Deputies managed to receive the submission from the Free Legal Advice Centres, FLAC, and the Northside Community Law Centre regarding this Bill. In those submissions, they highlighted what the Minister's changes to the mortgage interest supplement would entail. By denying access to the supplement for 12 months from the date on which the arrears arise, many borrowers in trouble will inevitably leave the 12-month period in greater difficulty or arrears than they would had they been allowed to engage at an earlier stage when the full consequences of their distress occurred. The Minister is adding to the problem and their distress.

Although financial institutions follow a code of conduct in terms of mortgage arrears, it is not compulsory for lenders to offer an alternative arrangement. The arrangement might not be in place in some cases, however. I will deal with this issue in more detail when we come to the mortgage interest supplement but certain lenders do not even allow the mortgage holder to speak face-to-face to somebody. These proposals will put the onus on the mortgagee to engage but if the lender is making it difficult to engage this becomes an onerous responsibility. This amendment will allow the Minister to delay the implementation of section 1. Before she even considers triggering the operational date for the reformed rules, I urge her to give more consideration to the additional burdens placed on people who are already in distress by denying them access to mortgage interest supplement for 12 months.

The Minister had promised to make changes to the 30 hours per week rule for mortgage interest supplement in order to allow individuals to take up additional hours on a casual basis. At present they lose payments under the supplement if they take up work.

I hope we will have sufficient time to debate these provisions because it is vital that we have an opportunity to ask the technical questions which usually arise on Committee Stage in order to get information from the Minister or her officials, who have a greater understanding of the specific workings of these measures. This would not only allow us to allay some of our fears but the Minister might also learn more about the day-to-day impact of her proposals on vulnerable people. I urge her to consider my proposals on the mortgage interest supplement.

The amendment also deals with the proposed change to assessment basis of jobseeker's benefit from six days to five days. As I pointed out last night, this will result in substantial cuts for those who receive jobseeker's benefit. Once again the Government is putting its hands into the pockets of those who are in distress or have been reduced to two or three days of work per week. They will be penalised further for being underemployed.

I ask that the Minister delay the implementation of these measures until certain criteria have been met. I may attempt to cobble together a further amendment before Report Stage. Our time is so restricted that we cannot even pause to consider the Minister's response to the amendments tabled on Committee Stage in order to prepare further amendments for tomorrow's debate on Report Stage.

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