Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will review and outline the system of checks and balances of the way the mortgage interest supplement is being used, to ensure that the recipient is passing all money onto the financial institutions. [45426/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Mortgage interest supplement (MIS) provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. There are currently approximately 16,000 mortgage interest supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €51 million for in 2012. From 18 June 2012, applicants for MIS must comply with an alternative payment arrangement agreed with their lender for a cumulative period of not less than 12 months prior to becoming eligible for the scheme. The underlying principle of this legislative change is to ensure that MIS eligibility criteria reflect the forbearance arrangements set out in the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP). Part of the MIS eligibility criteria includes the provision of written evidence that applicants have engaged with his/her mortgage service provider under the MARP.

There are standard controls which form part of the day-to-day administration of the mortgage interest supplement scheme. This includes a number of operational controls in place to ensure that payment of mortgage interest supplement does not continue to those who no longer have an entitlement such as regular review of claims. These reviews include the provision of information by the claimant and a statement on the current position of the mortgage from the mortgage provider. In addition warning reports are issued to officers where there is a change in circumstances which would prompt a review of entitlement. The delivery of services and control related functions in relation to processing MIS applications is subject to on-going review.