Figures released to Deputy Joan Burton by the Department of Social & Family Affairs show that the number of Dublin 15 households in receipt of Mortgage Interest Supplement has trebled in two years while the number in receipt of Rent Supplement is up 50%. Commenting on these revelations, Deputy Burton said “These figures are shocking but, unfortunately, not surprising given the massive increase in unemployment in Dublin 15 over the past two years.”

“Even those lucky enough to still have a job have taken a hit to their income between levies, stealth taxes and pay cuts. People across Dublin 15 and across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Just keeping a roof over the family’s head is becoming a struggle for many.

“People are anxious about how they are going to get by. They’re scared about losing their homes. Subsidies like Rent Supplement and the Mortgage Interest Supplement can help families keep their heads above water, but they are only part of the solution. For instance, the Labour Party has been calling for a moratorium on home repossessions to remove at least this immediate worry for people.

“Literally hundreds of people have contacted my office or stopped me in the street to tell me how difficult things are and how angry they are. There is understandably a lot of anger out there at how Fianna Fáil caused this recession and how they are responding to it. People see billions being pumped into our failed banks and are wondering ‘where’s my NAMA’?

“Fianna Fáil have shown their true colours – when the chips are down, they will look after their friends, the bankers and big developers who are the very ones responsible for putting the country on the road to ruin.

“People don’t want handouts, they want jobs. They are willing to work hard to provide for their families, but Fianna Fáil and their sidekicks in the Green Party have utterly failed them. At a local level, the Labour Party has been advocating a Dublin 15 focused investment plan to deliver local jobs for local people. Nationally, we have been arguing for months that the focus must be on jobs, not cuts. The state needs to support working people, not greedy bankers.

“I would encourage anyone who is in financial difficulty to contact the local Money Advice and Budgeting Service who can be a great help in getting people back on their feet. There are supports out there for people who a struggling and it’s important that people get everything they are entitled to.”

Recipients of Rent Supplement and Mortgage Interest Supplement, Dublin 15:

Rent Supplement Mortgage Interest Supplement
2007 2,594 176
2008 2,940 346
2009* 3,870 551

* 25 September 2009