Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak on section 11. As I understand it, section 11 proposes that the mortgage interest supplement will be phased out over the next four years. I do not understand the rationale for this. I do not want to delay the House, but all I can say is that 143,000 mortgages are in arrears and the problem appears to be getting worse. It may be getting worse more slowly, but that does not mean that it is getting better. I cannot think of a worse time to introduce a measure like this.

The Government has been phasing out mortgage interest relief, as is shown by the expenditure figures on this particular provision over the last couple of years. However, there are still 13,000 families depending on mortgage interest relief, so what is their position now? Are they being cut adrift over a four-year period? Perhaps the Minister would like to comment on that.

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