Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2004
84 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there will be development of the homemaker’s scheme, in view of recommendations of the review which was undertaken; and the recommendations of this review. [12165/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraMeasures are in place since 1994 to protect the pension entitlements of those who take time out of the paid workforce for caring duties. This scheme, known as the homemaker's scheme, allows for up to 20 years to be disregarded when a person's insurance record is being averaged to assess entitlement for contributory pension purposes.
My Department is at present finalising the second phase of a review of the qualifying conditions for old age contributory and retirement pensions which includes an examination of the homemaker's scheme. The first phase report, published in 2000, raised a number of general issues regarding the homemaker's scheme and these are being examined in more detail in the second part of the review. The main issues being examined include replacing the existing system of disregards with one based on credited contributions and the implications of backdating the scheme to an earlier date than 1994.
I expect the review will be ready for publication in the next few months and developments in the homemaker's scheme will be considered in the light of the conclusions of that report.
