Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide the cost of mortgage interest relief for the financial year 2010; the projected cost for 2011; the cost to his Department to date in 2011; if he will provide a regional breakdown of the figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19222/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I assume that Deputy is referring to mortgage interest relief in respect of principal private residences. On that basis, I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the cost to the Exchequer of mortgage interest relief by way of tax relief at source (TRS) in 2010 was €375 million and in the six months to the end of June 2011 is €178 million. The cost for the full year of 2011 is provisionally estimated at €400 million.

A regional breakdown of tax relief provided at source could not be identified without carrying out a significant development of the Revenue Commissioners' TRS computer system.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide the cost of rent relief for the financial year 2010; the projected cost for 2011; the cost to his Department to date in 2011; if he will provide a regional breakdown of the figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19223/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Section 473 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 provides tax relief at the standard rate to individuals who pay for private rented accommodation that is used as their sole or main residence. The level of rent qualifying for rent relief depends on an individual's marital status and age. In Budget 2011, it was announced that rent relief was being withdrawn on a phased basis. No new claimants are allowed from 7 December 2010 and existing claimants will continue to receive the relief on a reducing basis, with a complete cessation of the relief from 2018. The maximum tax credit available under the scheme in 2011 is €1,280/€640 per annum for a married couple/individual over 55 years of age and €640/€320 for a married couple/individual under 55 years of age.

The most recent year for which the necessary detailed information is available regarding the cost of rent relief is the income tax year 2008, in which the cost to the Exchequer is estimated at approximately €93 million for those claimants under 55 years of age and €4 million for those claimants over 55 years of age.

An estimated breakdown of the figures on a geographical basis is available on the basis of "bailiwick", meaning, in this case, the jurisdiction or boundaries within which Revenue Sheriffs, County Registrars or their officers operate for the purposes of enforcement of tax debt and which equates geographically with "county".

On this basis the estimated cost of rent relief for those claimants under 55 years of age and for those claimants over 55 years of age are as set out in the following tables.

The figures for the total costs of rent relief mentioned in this reply are higher than the total amounts of tax credits indicated in the tables being provided with this reply. This is due to the fact that the figures now being provided in the table represent about 95 per cent of all income tax returns expected for 2008, while the cost figures supplied above were, in accordance with normal practice, grossed-up at aggregate level to adjust for this 5% incompleteness.

A basis for providing a projected costs in 2011 and 2011 is not available at this time.