Vol. 418 No. 7
332 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the new regulations concerning the eligibility for disability benefit which will require paid contributions in the governing tax year will allow contributions paid by FÁS scheme participants to be reckoned as contributions for this purpose.
Section 32 of the Social Welfare Act, 1992, provides for a change in the contribution conditions for disability benefit. At present a person must, inter alia, have a minimum of 39 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year to qualify for benefit. In future, subject to certain exceptions to be specified in regulations, at least 13 of the 39 contributions will have to be paid rather than credited.
The purpose of this provision is to establish a recent attachment to the workforce for people applying for disability benefit. The regulations, which are being prepared at present, will be designed to ensure that people, including FÁS scheme participants, who have a genuine recent record of paid contributions and who are still effectively within the social insurance system, will not be affected by the new condition.
