Vol. 556 No. 2
19 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when she will introduce a homemaker's pension for pensioner spouses currently in receipt of the qualified adult allowance, set at the level of a full non-contributory pension. [19522/02]
27 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will introduce a pension as social welfare recognition for stay at home wives who had to retire from the public sector prior to 1978; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19526/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 27 together.
The Government is committed to increasing the rate at which the qualified adult allowance, QAA, is paid for those over 66 years of age to the rate of the old age non-contributory pension and to allow for the payment of this allowance directly to the qualified adult. This process commenced in budget 2001 with increases of up to €19.05 per week granted at that time. Further increases were granted in budget 2002 and QAA rates now stand at between 66% and 77% of maximum personal rates. The question of making further progress on this objective is a matter for consideration in a budgetary context.
From October, qualified spouses and partners of people entitled to a retirement or an old age contributory pension have the choice of having their part of the payment paid directly to them in accordance with the conclusions of the working group on administrative individualisation. This facility will be extended gradually to all pensioners.
The Government is also committed to extending pension cover to as many people as possible. In recent years more flexibility has been introduced into the qualifying conditions for the old age contributory pension scheme, including a reduction in the average number of contributions required for a minimum pension to ten, the introduction of pro rata pensions for those with mixed-rate insurance records and the special pension for those with pre-1953 insurance contributions. These measures are of benefit to many women who have gaps in their PRSI records due to working in the home looking after children, or caring full time for an elderly or incapacitated person.
