Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 3

Written Answers. - Bilateral Agreements.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

244 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will consult with his colleagues with whom Ireland has bilateral arrangements in regard to social welfare payments with the objective of initiating a process that will dramatically improve the efficacy and efficiency of the present process and thereby eliminate considerable hardship and concern to applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10757/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

245 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will undertake an urgent assessment of the bilateral arrangements regarding qualification and assessment for social welfare entitlement, with particular reference to the need to urgently speed up the process in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10758/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together.

Ireland has concluded bilateral social security agreements with Austria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland. Ireland also entered into a bilateral understanding with Quebec on 1 October 1994. All of these agreements have been put into operation.

The main purpose of these agreements is to protect the social security pension rights of workers who have acquired these rights while working in Ireland and the other countries to which the agreements apply. Similar protection of pension and other social security rights is afforded workers who have worked in Ireland and the other 14 EU member states by the EU regulations on social security. These also apply to the member states of the European Economic Area – Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Their application is also likely to be extended to other European countries in the coming years in the context of the enlargement of the EU or otherwise.

Consideration will continue to be given to concluding further bilateral agreements with individual countries where this is considered warranted by the number of persons who have been working in Ireland and the other country and where there is no immediate prospect of that country coming within the scope of comparable EU arrangements. In line with this policy, preliminary negotiations on a bilateral social security agreement have commenced with the authorities of the Republic of Korea and a draft text furnished by the Korean authorities has been examined by my Department. Preliminary discussions have also taken place with the Czech Republic.

A review of bilateral agreements is currently under way. In accordance with the provisions of the agreement, a review of the New Zealand agreement is currently at an advanced stage. Similar reviews are due to get under way with the United States and Australia. The monitoring of the application of EU regulations is carried out through the Administrative Commission on Social Security for Migrant Workers. The Department is currently working on updating the guidance notes to assist in the speeding up of the decision making process on claims. This has already been completed with regard to pension provisions of the EU regulations and is due for completion in other areas by the end of the year.

As part of this overall process, there are ongoing detailed discussions on the effective implementation of EU regulations and other bilateral agreements. Any occasional difficulties we may encounter with other states on the implementation of regulations or bilateral agreements are dealt with on a case by case basis with the relevant administration. While any hardship or concern suffered by applicants because of the implementation of regulations or bilateral agreements is to be regretted, it should be remembered that this is necessarily a very cumbersome process given the very different social security arrangements of different countries. It is hoped that the reviews mentioned above will ensure that this is kept to a minimum. If the Deputy knows of any particular case of unusual delay suffered by a claimant, I would be glad to receive details of such cases and will ensure that my Department will take all possible steps in expediting the matter.

Question No. 246 answered with Question No. 243.