Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 221: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown of the numbers applying for the housing mortgage interest supplement on 1 March 2011 and on 1 September 2011,by social welfare office, and the number of those applications which were accepted. [26643/11]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown of the numbers applying for the housing mortgage interest supplement on 1 March 2011 and on 1 September 2011, by social welfare office; and the number of those applications which ere accepted. [26356/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 299 together.

Statistics are not available on the number of individuals who applied for a mortgage interest supplement payment on 1 March 2011 and on 1 September 2011. The tabular statement shows the number of mortgage interest supplement claims registered and awarded in the week ending 4 March 2011 and week ending 2 September 2011 by HSE area.

Notes

· Claims registered may include

o claims not pursued by the applicant and

o re-applications.

· Claim details are recorded electronically where it is established that mortgage interest supplement is payable. Where an appeal has been lodged, claim details are also recorded electronically.

· Given the pressure on the community welfare service, claim details are not always recorded on the system where no entitlement has been established to mortgage interest supplement.

· The difference between claims registered and claims awarded is not necessarily a refusal rate, for the reasons outlined above.

· In these circumstances, fully reliable statistics are not available on the total number of people who applied for and were refused mortgage interest supplement.