Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans for the future of the mortgage interest supplement scheme in view of the fact that legislative changes in relation to mortgage arrears are currently being considered. [30297/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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At the end of December 2010 there were 17,974 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement, an increase of 337% over the 2007 figure. There are currently over 18,500 households benefiting from the scheme for which €77.2m has been allocated for 2011.

The Department's review of the administrative, policy and legal aspects of the mortgage interest supplement scheme was published in July 2010 in conjunction with the interim report of the Mortgage Arrears and Personal Debt Review Group. The final report of the Mortgage Arrears and Personal Debt Review Group was published in November 2010. These reports set out a number of recommendations. These recommendations are centred on the delivery of customer service improvement by ensuring that State support for those unable to deal with mortgage arrears is better targeted, consistent and easily understood. Allied with the focus on customer service improvements are recommendations that seek to ensure that lending institutions, borrowers and the Exchequer share responsibilities and commitments in a balanced way.

The recommendations set out in the Mortgage and Personal Debt Review Group's final report were considered by the Inter-Departmental Mortgage Arrears Working Group whose report to the Government's Economic Management Council was published on the 12th October 2011.

My Department's officials are currently examining this report and considering the implications of the recommendations.