Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In other words, payment is not subject to residence in the country in which the contributions were paid in the first instance.

On the other hand, the non-contributory State pension is a means-tested payment based upon habitual residence in Ireland. It is a scheme to help older people living in Ireland to avoid poverty, particularly those who have no other provision for old age. There is no requirement for this payment to be exportable under EU rules. Indeed, it would be highly unusual to consider that persons living abroad should have entitlement to this pension. Issues that would arise in this regard include who would be eligible for the payment in the first instance, as well as the appropriate rates payable to persons living abroad in view of the varying costs of living in other countries.

The State pension is generally not payable while the claimant is absent from the State. However, if someone is going abroad, as the Deputy mentioned, for illness or family purposes, they should notify the Department before their departure because there is an element of flexibility about this. In the case of people who go abroad on holiday for more than two weeks, the pension payment will normally be reinstated and may be backdated for a period of up to 13 weeks on their return to this country. However, payment is not allowed for repeated long-duration absences.

I am not considering any changes to the legislation governing this scheme so as to enable a person in receipt of the non-contributory State pension to leave the State for indefinite periods and continue to receive the pension. The consequences for the State would be very serious.

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