Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 1254: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the principal social welfare payments a person can be in receipt of in order to qualify for mortgage interest supplement; if mortgage interest supplement is payable when a person is in receipt of a training allowance from FÁS and if mortgage interest supplement is payable when a person is in receipt of wages from community employment. [32380/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. In order to qualify for mortgage interest supplement, a person must satisfy a number of statutory qualifying conditions including that the person is not engaged in full-time employment for more than 30 hours per week.

Those availing of part-time employment (less than 30 hours a week), community employment, and/or specified training opportunities (including FÁS courses) can continue to receive mortgage interest supplement subject to their satisfying the standard means assessment rules. Where a person has additional income in excess of the standard weekly rate of supplementary welfare allowance, the first €75 of such additional income together with 25% of any additional income above €75 is disregarded for means assessment purposes.

Arrangements are also in place to allow a person to participate in approved employment or training schemes of more than 30 hours per week or engage in full-time employment and retain entitlement to mortgage interest supplement on a tapered basis for up to 4 years in certain limited circumstances.