David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not accept that view. I accept the injured person will get the benefits to which he or she is entitled. There will and can be a situation where somebody is involved in an accident through no fault of their own, and possibly through negligence by an employer or whatever. In that instance the person will only get credited contributions, not paid contributions. There is a big difference between the two contributions. Somebody could end up not having enough paid contributions. The Minister is right to say that the money can be recovered but credited contributions are not good enough for the person who finds him or herself with insufficient contributions.

As the Minister knows, we have increased to 520 the number of contributions necessary to qualify for a contributory pension. We will end up in a situation where a person who is involved in an accident, through no fault of their own, will not have enough paid contributions. There is a massive difference between credited and paid contributions. A person without the proper entitlement will not receive a contributory pension, which is unfair. Our amendments will allow the Minister to reclaim the money from the compensator but have it classed as paid contributions rather than credited contributions. If the Minister does not accept the amendment, it will lead to problems in the future and people will find themselves in such a situation.

I do not know whether the matter has been examined by the officials but I know that the Minister may not be able to accept my amendment. I will not press my amendment. I will withdraw it and resubmit it on Report Stage. I ask the Minister to consult her officials on the matter and ensure this will not happen. I do not want such individuals to be disadvantaged through no fault of their own. I am sure the Minister does not intend for that to happen either but the anomaly must be addressed in the Bill.