Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
302 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to correspondence received from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; if this person’s old age contributory pension entitlement will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28785/04]
View answerSince reaching 66 years in April 2004, the person concerned has been in receipt of an old age contributory pension at the rate of €83.70 per week based on a yearly average of 14 contributions. As a result of the Deputy's question, the entitlement of the person concerned was re-examined and contributions paid at the modified rate while she was employed as a civil servant were added to her record. She now qualifies for a mixed-insurance pro-rata old age contributory pension at the rate of €91.60 per week from 30 April 2004. As this rate is higher than her current standard old age contributory pension, arrangements are being made to transfer her to the higher rate of pension. The arrears of pension will issue by cheque as soon as possible.
The correspondence supplied with the parliamentary question refers to the homemaker's scheme. This scheme was introduced from 1994 without retrospection to protect the pension entitlements of those who take time out of the paid workforce for caring duties. It allows up to 20 years to be disregarded when a person's insurance record is being averaged to assess entitlement for contributory pension purposes. Phase 2 of the review of the qualifying conditions for old age contributory and retirement pensions will include an examination of the homemaker's scheme. It is expected that the review will be ready for publication in the next few months and developments in relation to the homemaker's scheme will be considered in the light of the conclusions of that report.
