John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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243. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of mortgage interest supplement; when he plans to finish this scheme; the measures he will put in place for those persons that are in receipt of the payment and rely on the scheme to help keep their home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9142/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement (MIS) scheme was to provide short-term 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.

This scheme was discontinued to new entrants from 1st January 2014. The most appropriate way in which customers experiencing mortgage difficulties can be supported is through on-going engagement with their lender to explore sustainable solutions.

Customers availing of this support prior to 1st January 2014 have been able to retain entitlement to the scheme up to 1st January 2018. There are currently approximately 2,000 people in receipt of MIS, for which Government has provided over €4 million in 2017.

It is expected that over the remaining period MIS customers will continue to exit the scheme through sustainable solutions being put in place with their lenders; securing employment; or exit strategies sponsored by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, such as the Mortgage to Rent Scheme. A review of all current MIS cases is underway by staff of the Community Welfare Service, gathering information on property type, and lending institutions involved. As part of this process the cases will be profiled in order to consider appropriate exit strategies for these customers.

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board, assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems, in particular those on low incomes or living on social welfare payments. As part of its free services, MABS provides help and advice to those in mortgage arrears.

The role of MABS was expanded in 2015 with the establishment of a Dedicated Mortgage Arrears MABS service (DMA MABS) across the MABS network, to help people specifically with home mortgage arrears. There are now 32 specialist DMA advisors working across 27 locations countrywide, assisting borrowers to assess the options available to them and, where required, negotiating with lenders on their behalf. To date, the DMA service has helped almost 3,000 such borrowers.

Additionally, MABS provides a national network of court mentors who attend each listed repossession Court hearing countrywide. The mentors provide support to distressed borrowers who are facing the loss of their home and signpost them to the appropriate services. To date, over 1,300 borrowers have been referred onward to MABS advisors through the court mentor service.

In 2016, a further initiative was announced by Government, known as Abhaile. This scheme further extends the free services already available to borrowers through the DMA MABS service and the court mentor service. The new voucher based scheme, for which MABS is the gateway, provides access for people, who are insolvent and in home mortgage arrears, to access independent expert financial and/or legal advice and assistance, free of charge. Qualification for help under the scheme is based on the borrower being (a) in mortgage arrears on their home; (b) insolvent; (c) at risk of losing their home because of their mortgage arrears; and (d) reasonably accommodated. To date, c. 4,400 vouchers for services have been issued, in respect of over 2,800 principle private residences.

I am continuing to monitor the supports and services which the Department has put in place to assist homeowners in serious mortgage arrears.