Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The person concerned applied for a mortgage interest supplement on 12 November 2013. Following the processing of her application it was disallowed on three grounds:

Firstly, as her loan was not a primary mortgage for the purpose of purchasing, repairing or improving her home, it was not a qualifying loan under the mortgage interest supplement scheme. Secondly, her mortgage arrears were of such magnitude that it was not deemed reasonable to award a supplement; social welfare legislation provides that where payment of a supplement is unlikely to prevent repossession due to high arrears, payment of a mortgage interest supplement is to be avoided. Thirdly, it is required that an applicant for mortgage interest supplement must first show that he/she had entered into an alternative payment arrangement with their lender, and had complied with that arrangement for twelve months or longer. The lender indicated on the application that the person concerned had no alternative payment arrangement.

Unfortunately despite the personal circumstances of the person concerned cited by the Deputy which my Department is sympathetic towards, there are no legal grounds for reconsidering this decision.