Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 Mar 1996

Vol. 463 No. 3

Written Answers. - Pension Board Recommendations.

Mary Harney

Ceist:

311 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to introduce the recommendation in the pension board's report regarding abolishing the current arrangements for pre-1953 contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6177/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

To qualify for an old age contributory pension a person must have entered insurance at least ten years before reaching pension age, have at least 156 contributions paid and have a yearly average of at least 20 contributions (or 24 in the case of a retirement pension) registered since January 1953 (when the unified system of social insurance came into effect), or the time they started insurable employment, if later.

Social insurance paid before 1953 under the National Health Insurance Acts can be taken into account in satisfying the first two conditions but cannot be used in calculating the yearly average.

A majority of the National Pensions Board in its final report "Developing the National Pensions System" made a recommendation that the arrangements for pre-1953 contributions should be abolished.

A majority of board members, however, considered that this facility should be retained and allowed to end naturally (which will happen at the end of the contribution year 2002-2003).

The National Pensions Board report is at present being studied in detail within my Department. I will bring forward proposals on the issues addressed in the report based on detailed considerations and in the light of available resources.