Vol. 502 No. 6
265 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if the detailed review of contribution conditions applying to contributory old age pension has been completed; if the report will be published; and, if so, the date in this regard. [8951/99]
The review referred to by the Deputy is under way in my Department. In the course of this internal review, it was decided to engage in a consultative process with the main groups representing the interests of older people. Given the many complex issues involved, I consider it important that the views of older people are taken into account. As I have previously indicated, I will report to the House on the outcome of the review which will, in the normal course, be publicly available when it has been considered by the Government. It is now expected that the review will be completed in mid-1999.
266 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will introduce a special pro rata pension, which was recently made available to old age pensioners and will be put into payment from October 1999, to widows and widowers. [8961/99]
It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the widow(ers) (contributory) pension scheme and the possibility of introducing a special 50 per cent pension similar to the recently announced 50 per cent old age (contributory) pension for certain people who were self-employed.
This special old age (contributory) pension is being introduced to address the position of those self-employed people who were 56 years of age or over in April 1988 when compulsory social insurance was extended to the self-employed. This group failed to qualify for a pension under the standard qualifying conditions as they did not satisfy the general requirement of having entered social insurance at least ten years before pension age.
