The number of people receiving state aid to pay rents and mortgages, in Ireland, had risen significantly in last five months.

Attributed to increased unemployment, the amount of households awarded benefits, to pay rent supplements, grew by around 3,300, from the start of the year.

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This, according to Irish Social Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin, means 63,000 people now receive state help to pay for rented accommodation.

There has also been a dramatic rise in the number getting mortgage interest supplements from the government. Now over 5,000 people receive the benefit, a rise of around 900.

The state is paying €392m on rent supplements and another €14.3m on mortgage interest supplements.

Fine Gael's Bernard Durkan has said the downturn in the economy was having a negative impact on mortgage holders and those in rented accommodation.

(PR/JM)