asked the Minister for Social Welfare when benefit or pension will be granted to a person (name supplied) in County Meath who reached the age of 65 years on 4th July, 1974, and who has not received any payment since then from his Department or from the British Ministry of Social Security; and the reason for the delay in dealing with this case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meath Social Welfare Application.
3.
Under EEC regulations liability for payment of disability or sickness benefit rests with the member state under whose legislation the claimant was last insurably employed. The person concerned was last employed in Britain and he was paid sickness benefit by the British authorities from 1st April, 1973, until he reached retirement pension age on 4th July, 1974. He has no entitlement to disability benefit or invalidity pension from my Department.
His pension entitlement also falls for determination under EEC regulations. On his Irish insurance record alone under the insurance number quoted by the Deputy he had no entitlement to retirement pension. On information he gave, however, it appeared that he might have had earlier Irish insurance which could affect his pension position but he was unable to give sufficient details to enable his previous insurance to be traced. As a result of inquiries made by my Department an earlier Irish insurance record sufficient to qualify him for pension has now been established. He has been awarded, accordingly, a provisional Irish retirement pension at the rate of £8.30 a week and the British authorities are being supplied with details of his Irish insurance to enable a final determination to be made of his pension entitlements under EEC regulations on a combination of his Irish and British insurances.
I want to thank the Parliamentary Secretary for that reply. I presume the book will be going out to the applicant right away?
Yes.