The person concerned applied for old age (non-contributory) pension in May 1991. As this is a means tested assistance payment, all income, including capital and income from foreign pensions, is assessable as means. The British pension which counts as means for this purpose is converted to Irish pounds by reference to an average EU exchange rate used by my Department.
Following investigations in 1991, it was decided that the person concerned was not entitled to receive a pension as her weekly means of £73.47 exceed the statutory limit for entitlement — then set at £56.00 per week. Her means were derived from her British Retirement Pension, a British Superannuation Pension and some capital held on deposit.