Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 3

Written Answers. - European White Paper on Social Welfare Benefit.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

127 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social Welfare the way in which Ireland intends to approach the recommendations in the report entitled European Social Policy-A Way Forward for the Union with regard to the individualisation of social welfare benefit; and whether he supports this recommendation. [2006/94]

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

The White Paper "European Social Policy — A Way Forward for the Union" states that the European Commission "will give consideration to a recommendation on the adaptation of social protection systems to changing family structures, notably through the individualisation of rights and contributions on the basis of a comparison of actual gender inequalities in social security".

This is just one of a large number of proposals which the Commission of the European Communities is expected to bring forward for discussion, consideration and, if agreed upon, adoption by the member states in the area of social protection. Clearly the position to be adopted will depend on the actual terms of the proposals from the Commission.

The Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW) states “the concept of dependency will be examined in the context of overall social welfare reform”.

Considerable progress has already been made in recent years towards the individualisation of social welfare payments through the extension of social insurance to the self-employed in 1988 and to part-time workers in 1991. In addition, the Government has already announced that full social insurance cover is to be extended to new entrants to the Public Service with effect from April 1995.

I am particularly concerned about the position of married women working in the home who now represent the largest single category of people excluded from social insurance cover. Women who spend a significant part of their working lives working in the home do not, in general, qualify for Old Age (Contributory) Pension in their own right. Instead, they rely on the means tested Old Age (Non-Contributory) Pension or are regarded as adult dependants of their husband. Earlier this year. I made regulations under which years spent working in the home caring for a child up to age six or for an incapacitated person are disregarded in calculating a person's yearly average number of contributions for the purposes of determining entitlement to Old Age (Contributory) Pension. Up to 20 contribution years may be disregarded in this way. These regulations, which give practical recognition to women working in the home, represent a major step in providing women in the home with an individual entitlement.

Under present arrangements, people in respect of whom an adult dependant allowance is payable are entitled in certain circumstances to receive, in their own right, part of the social welfare payment payable to their spouse. The question of extending these provisions to all spouses working in the home is currently being examined within my Department.