asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state the estimated total annual cost of old age contributory and non-contributory pensions, widows' and orphan' pensions and blind pensions, and the amount of such cost contributed by (a) employers, (b) workers and (c) the State,
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cost of Social Welfare Pensions.
25.
The estimated total annual cost of old age contributory and non-contributory pensions, widows' and orphans' pensions and blind pensions is £23,455,000.
The total cost of the non-contributory pensions, namely £12,105,000, is borne entirely by the State. The cost of the contributory pensions, namely £11,350,000 is met from the Social Insurance Fund to which the State, employers and workers contribute. There are no fixed portions of the contributions allocated to pensions, but broadly the position in recently years is that the State contributes somewhat more than one-third of the total expenditure from the Fund, the balance being shared between employers and workers.