Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the AA home insurance and Irish Times commissioned research which found that the average weekly cost of running a home bought in the boom is €920; if she is concerned regarding the inadequacy of social welfare payment levels for this and other categories; and her plans to ensure that families experiencing unemployment are not pushed into poverty and further debt. [44556/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am aware of the survey conducted by AA Insurance and published in the Irish Times in September 2012. I note that, as reported, a significant amount of the costs of running a home relates to significant mortgage repayments.

In this regard, I recently announced a three-phased approach to establishing a comprehensive Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service to provide the necessary supports to assist people in mortgage distress. The approach differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice. The first two involve the enhancement of the website and the establishment of a Mortgage Arrears Information Helpline within the Citizens Information Board both of which focus on the provision of comprehensive mortgage arrears information in particular to people in arrears or pre-arrears.

The third element of the service is the provision of independent financial advice to mortgage holders who are being presented with long term mortgage resolution proposals by their lenders. This advice is provided by a panel of accountants drawn from members of the main accountancy institutes in Ireland who have agreed to participate and support this independent service.

The Government is acutely aware of the difficulties that many households are facing in meeting their mortgage repayments and addressing these difficulties is at the forefront of Government’s agenda. The new service providing distressed mortgage holders with independent financial advice taken together with the Personal Insolvency Service and the Mortgage to Rent initiatives clearly demonstrate the commitment of Government to tackling the personal debt burden being carried by ordinary people.”

With regard to the adequacy of social welfare payment levels in general, the Revised Estimates for my Department provides for expenditure of €20.55 billion in 2012 on a wide range of income supports and other services. This expenditure represents 39% of Gross Current Government Expenditure and impacts in some way on almost every single person and business in the State, either directly or indirectly. The weekly payment rates of all primary welfare payments were fully protected in Budget 2012 and the Government will consider the appropriate level of expenditure in 2013 in the context of the forthcoming Budget.