Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

As I stated, I asked the ILO's committee of experts for its views on the way in which the IHRC has interpreted the relevant articles. I do not know when we will receive its views but as soon as we do, the Department will be well disposed to publishing the information.

There are obviously anomalies throughout the system and we have made good progress in recent years in ironing them out. A small number of people are affected. When I met the IFA, it raised issues similar to the one raised by the Deputy. One difficulty in addressing the matter concerns the implications for other schemes and the implications if one interferes with the basic principle of attachment to the social welfare system through making contributions from a certain date and meeting the necessary conditions.

There are 3,500 people in receipt of the special half rate pension for the self-employed; there are 28,000 people in receipt of the pre-1953 pension; there are 13,300 people in receipt of the pro rata pension on the basis of EU and bilateral arrangements; and there are 1,800 people in receipt of mixed insurance pensions, at the modified and full rate. There is no precise estimate of the number caught in the manner the Deputy describes and we await the views of the ILO on the matter.

See this speech in context