Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 October 2023
124. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine and expedite a case on behalf of a person (details supplied), given the length of time the original application is on the system. [46861/23]
View answerInvalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The Department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 3 May 2022. To qualify for IP, a claimant must, inter alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last or second last complete contribution years before the relevant date of their claim. The person in question does not have the required 260 paid PRSI contributions in Ireland. The claim was refused on 7 May 2022 under national legislation on the grounds that the contribution conditions for the scheme are not satisfied and the person referred to was notified of the decision on the same date.
As the person concerned had previously worked in the Netherlands, a request was made to the Dutch Authorities for her social insurance contribution record there. An application was also made on her behalf to the Dutch Authorities for an equivalent IP payment from them. Her contribution record has now been received and she satisfies the contribution conditions for Invalidity Pension under Bilateral/EU Regulations. She must also satisfy the medical conditions for the scheme.
The Dutch Authorities have requested a detailed medical report (DMR) for the application with them which was made on behalf of the person in question by my Department. When completed, the same DMR will be used to establish if she satisfies the medical conditions for her IP claim here. In this regard, a Medical Assessor has requested that the person concerned attend for an in-person medical assessment for the purposes of completing the DMR. An appointment has been arranged for her to attend for the medical assessment on 0 November 2023 and she has been notified of the appointment date by letter on 23 October 2023.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
