Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Finally, I will answer the question on the numbers people on the scheme. We have 145,544 recipients on the disability allowance, 52,036 recipients on the working family payments scheme and 5,607 on the back to work family dividends scheme. The State contributory pension is very close to the 34% of the indexation level that we would like it to be at. We need to see how wages increase next year. That would increase the State pension from the current €243 by €7 per week, to bring it up to 34%. I do not have an answer to hand to the question as to why there was of 5.2% increase in the contributory pension this year, but I will come back to the committee with that answer.