asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the number of persons retired from self-employment who are in receipt of non-contributory old age pension; and the total cost of payments of such pensions to them.
Written Answers. - Self-Employed Statistics.
145.
The detailed information requested by the Deputy is not available.
However as indicated by the National Pensions Board in its recent report non-contributory pensions are payable mainly to self-employed persons, persons who have never been able to work outside the home and those who, although employed casually, have not paid sufficient contributions to qualify for one or other of the contributory benefits. The provision for non-contributory old age pensions for 1988 in the abridged estimates volume is £286.5 million.
146.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give an estimate for 1988 of the number of self-employed persons reaching retirement age during the 12 months.
In the context of its report on the extension of social insurance to the self-employed the National Pensions Board estimated that the number of self-employed persons reaching pensionable age (66 years) in 1988-89 would be 3,800 approximately.
147.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated level of self-employed income in 1988 on which estimates for the level of PRSI contribution being considered by his Department would be based.
An outline of the extension of the scheme of social insurance to the self-employed is being announced by the Minister for Finance in his budget Statement and statutory authority setting out the details of the qualification conditions and levels of benefit for the scheme will be provided at a later stage in a Bill to be brought forward by me.