asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give the reason for the regulation whereby a working married woman who has acquired more than 26 stamps will not receive maternity benefit unless 26 of these stamps have been acquired between July 1st of one year and June 30th of the next.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Eligibility for Maternity Benefit.
65.
The contribution conditions governing entitlement to any social insurance benefit are designed to secure that in order to obtain benefit a claimant must be in effective insurance and that that insurance has covered a reasonable period. In the case of maternity benefit these conditions are (a) that at least 26 contributions have been paid and (b) that not less than 26 contributions have been paid or credited in the contribution year to which entitlement to benefit is related. The contribution year in the case of women is the 12 month period from the first Monday in July.
I would like to emphasise, however, that the contributions required to satisfy the second condition mentioned need not necessarily be paid contributions as the Deputy implies; they may, in fact, be contributions credited in respect of periods of duly notified incapacity or unemployment.
The remaining Questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.
I should like to give notice, Sir, that I wish to raise the subject matter of Question No. 46 on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with Deputy Tully.