Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 187: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if adequate provision has been made to meet rent and mortgage support requirements for the duration of 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17352/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs.

There are currently almost 85,000 recipients of rent supplement, a 42% increase since the end of 2007 and 11,300 recipients of mortgage interest supplement, a 175% increase since the end of 2007.

The published estimate of expenditure for 2009 for rent supplement is €490.4m and €40.1m for mortgage interest supplement, an increase of €50.7million and €12.5 on the outturn of expenditure in 2008.

In the current economic climate, it is difficult to estimate expenditure into the future. Expenditure on rent and mortgage interest supplement is closely monitored on a monthly basis taking into account trends in recipient numbers, average monthly payments and savings arising from the supplementary budget measures.

Overall, it is expected that adequate provision has been made for both the rent supplement and mortgage interest schemes in 2009. Developments in relation to current year expenditure will continue to be closely monitored in the context of the Government's framework for reporting on public expenditure.