asked the Minister for Social Welfare the steps, if any, he intends to take to remedy the inequity to those whose pre-1953 social welfare contributions are not taken into account in deciding eligibility for benefit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Eligibility.
15.
Pre-1953 contributions are reckonable for the purpose of determining whether a person claiming retirement or old age contributory pension has entered insurance before the prescribed age, or whether he has paid at least 156 contributions since entry into insurance.
They are not taken into account for the purpose of the condition which requires a claimant to have had a minimum yearly average of paid or credited contributions. This average is calculated over the period from 1953 or from the date of the person's entry into insurance if this is later.
The present unified social insurance scheme came into operation in January 1953. Pre-1953 contributions did not contain any element in respect of the pensions in question. The treatment of such contributions in the manner outlined cannot, therefore, be regarded as an inequity.
The Minister will appreciate that there is a relatively small number of people in this category. The Minister will appreciate also that they feel aggrieved because, in some cases, they paid contributions for many years up to 1953. Subsequently they went out of the insurable area when there was an income limit. In the last few years they have been paying insurance contributions again but find now that all of their former contributions, in some cases up to 20 years' contributions, paid before 1953 are being disregarded. Because of the period when they were out of insurance between 1973 and 1974 they have not got the annual average necessary. The Minister would do well to examine this area and accept that there is a real feeling of injustice.
That is a statement. Question No. 16.
It is a very complicated area to endeavour to explain. I would hope the Minister might try and deal with it.
I take the Deputy's point.
Perhaps the Minister might come back with some information about this?
I will write to the Deputy about it.