Vol. 397 No. 9
176 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider changing the regulations regarding social welfare recipients who are in receipt of disability benefit and who go to a non-EC country on a temporary basis, having regard to the fact that at present they are denied payment for their duration abroad.
Payment of disability benefit is not generally made where people go abroad. In the case of people going to other EC countries there are provisions under EC regulations on social security for migrant workers whereby payment is made where people move to other EC countries. These regulations contain detailed provisions for medical certification for the purposes of such entitlements to be carried out on a reciprocal basis by the member states.
Payment of short term disability benefit in other countries would pose problems of control and certification and would require reciprocal arrangements between the countries involved. Disability benefit does not normally feature in reciprocal agreements on social security which usually cover pensions and other long term payments.
177 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the entitlement for a free electricity allowance and a free television licence to persons over 66 years of age who are in receipt of a farm retirement pension.
Entitlement to the free schemes from my Department is available to elderly or permanently incapacitated persons who are receiving certain social security type payments and who are either living alone or with excepted persons.
The current rate of annuities payable under the farmer's retirement scheme is not such as to preclude entitlement to old age (non-contributory) pension where the recipient has reached pensionable age and the annuity is the sole source of income to the household. For example, a single farmer entitled to an annuity for £2,020 could still qualify for an old age (non-contributory) pension of £16 per week at current rates. A married farmer whose spouse is also over age 66 and whose current annuity is £3,037 could qualify for an old age (non-contributory) pension of £26 each per week at current rates. Persons in this situation would qualify for free schemes subject to the normal conditions. Extension of the free schemes to persons not in receipt of social security type payments would have wideranging and costly implications and there are no proposals for such a change at present.
178 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position regarding the application of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Where a person has less than 260 contributions paid since entry into insurable employment, entitlement to disability benefit is limited to 52 weeks.
