Seanad debates

Wednesday, 2 October 2019

Social Welfare Bill 2019: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

10:30 am

Photo of Alice-Mary HigginsAlice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I believe it may be of interest to the Minister, given her interest in the issue of educational access.

Amendment No. 37 very much relates to the substance of the sections in this Bill. I did not find a place within the sections where it should sit but it is around access to entitlement to make voluntary contributions. We saw an increase in the threshold of the previous contributions required before one is allowed to make voluntary contributions. We have an anomaly in terms of the many persons who want to make sure they have made sufficient contributions in order to be able to access whichever supports or training schemes or, in particular, their pensions. Some will find they have not made sufficient previous contributions because the number of previous contributions one had to make before one would be allowed to make voluntary contributions had doubled from 260 to 520.

The Minister's predecessor, the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, accepted an amendment which I put forward in 2016 and which extended the period of time in which voluntary contributions could be made to five years since the previous contribution. However, while it was indicated at the time that the threshold issue might be looked at again, it has not really progressed. It may come into particular relevance for those who have been in care work, especially when they are not on carer's allowance or carer's benefit. It is a concern for those who may have been caring, either here or abroad, and are now seeking to try to normalise their situation in a limited period of time. It is also a concern for those who have been in self-employment and who may not have sufficient, or the right kind of, contributions to be allowed to make voluntary contributions.

Again, it is around streamlining the process and allowing for those who are not simply looking for something for free but are looking to contribute. They want to make voluntary contributions and they want to bring up their contributory record to meet what will probably be higher standards in the future. Can we facilitate them?

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