Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering reversing the increase in personal contributions to the mortgage interest supplement introduced in Budget 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44424/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are over 16,000 persons in receipt of mortgage interest supplement for which the Government has provided a sum of €51 million for 2012. Mortgage interest supplement is normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of mortgage costs, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. The weekly minimum contribution is €30 for a single adult household and €35 for coupled households. Many recipients pay more than this amount because recipients are also required, subject to income disregards, to contribute any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate SWA rate towards their accommodation costs.

I have no plans at this time to amend the personal contributions to mortgage interest supplement. Any changes to the mortgage interest supplement scheme would be considered in a budgetary context.