Vol. 475 No. 4
244 Mr. L. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will redress the injustice perpetrated on a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who applied for a retirement pension in view of the circumstances involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4841/97]
The person concerned was refused retirement pension on the grounds that she has insufficient contributions paid or credited to satisfy the yearly average conditions of the scheme. She has a yearly average of nine contributions between 1953 and 1997 which is the relevant period in her case. A yearly average of 24 contributions is required for retirement pension at age 65 and a yearly average of 20 for old age, contributory, pension at age 66. Provision is being made for pro-rata pensions with effect from November next, as announced in this year's budget, but a yearly average of ten contributions is required for this purpose.
245 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will grant a free telephone rental allowance to all pensioners over 66 years of age. [4843/97]
The free telephone rental allowance administered by my Department is available to people who are in receipt of certain social welfare type payments and who are either living alone or only with children aged under 18 or persons who are so incapacitated that they could not get help in an emergency. Last July, the free schemes of telephone rental allowance, electricity allowance and colour television licence were extended to low income pensioners who did not previously qualify because they were not in receipt of a social welfare pension.
The allowance covers the cost of the normal telephone rental charges and up to 20 free call units in each two-monthly billing period.
The extension of the free telephone rental scheme to include all pensioners aged over 66 years, regardless of their household circumstances, would have major cost implications and I have no plans at present to introduce such a measure.
246 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Social Welfare if workers in Irish Life who are currently locked out will receive social welfare payments for the duration of the lock-out period. [4846/97]
Social welfare legislation provides that persons who are involved in a trade dispute are not entitled to receive unemployment payments or supplementary welfare allowance for the duration of the dispute. Supplementary welfare allowance is, however, payable subject to a means test to any adult or child dependant of a person involved in such a dispute.
In relation to the dispute in question, following a decision by a deciding officer in a test case, all employees of the company who are participating in or directly interested in the dispute are disqualified from receipt of unemployment payments for as long as the stoppage continues.
247 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason contributions made prior to 1953 cannot be reckoned for pro-rata pension purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4927/97]
To qualify for the old age contributory pension, a person must have entered insurance at least ten years before pension age, have at least 156 contributions paid and have a yearly average of at least 20 contributions, or 24 in the case of a retirement pension, registered since January 1953 — when the unified system of social insurance came into effect — or the time they started insurable employment, if later.
I announced in my budget speech that in future people who pay PRSI, but fail to qualify for the present minimum old age pension, will receive a contributory pension as long as their yearly average number of contributions is between ten and 20. A yearly average between 15 and 19 will give entitlement to a pension of 75 per cent of the maximum rate, while an average of between ten and 14 will give entitlement to a pension of 50 per cent. This measure, which will be introduced in November next, will mean that people with broken or sporadic contribution records will now qualify for a contributory pension, as long as they have at least 260 paid contributions.
Social Insurance paid before 1953 under the National Health Insurance Acts can be taken into account for old age contributory pension and the new pro-rata pension in satisfying the first two conditions set out above but cannot be used in calculating the yearly average.
In this regard it is relevant to point out that prior to 1953 three different types of contributions were payable. These were, national health insurance, widows and orphans pension and unemployment insurance contributions. These contributions gave specific entitlement only to the benefits of the scheme under which they were paid.
The old age contributory pension scheme was introduced in 1961. Contributions paid by insured persons prior to 1961 did not contain an element in respect of that pension. However, as a concession and to enable persons reaching pension age at that time to qualify immediately for a contributory pension, contributions paid prior to 1953 were taken into account in calculating a person's entitlement to pension. These transitional arrangements operated until 1973. From that date contributions paid prior to 1953 were no longer counted for the purposes of the satisfying of the yearly average test. However they are still reckonable for the other two conditions.
If the Deputy has a specific case in mind and can pass on the relevant details I would be happy to have the position investigated.
