Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications received to date for the pre 1953 pension; the number of applications rejected by his Department; the number of applicants who claim to have been employed by local authorities who were refused the pre 1953 pension; the number of applicants who claim to have been employed by semi-State bodies who were refused the pre 1953 pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5899/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The special old age contributory pension for people who commenced insurable employment before 1953 was introduced with effect from 5 May 2000. To qualify for the pension a person must have commenced insurable employment under the National Health Insurance Acts and have a total of at least 260 full-rate social insurance contributions paid since then. The 260 contributions can be made up solely of contributions paid prior to 1953 under the National Health Insurance Acts or of a combination of contributions paid before 1953 and after 1953 under the Social Welfare Acts. Every two contributions paid prior to 1953 are counted as three for this purpose with any odd contribution counted as two.

The pension is payable at half the maximum weekly personal rate, that is €89.70. Increases for qualified adults and child dependants, where applicable, are also payable at half-rate.

Since its introduction in May 2000, some 29,740 people have been awarded the pre 1953 pension and a further 3,900 awarded a pro rata rate of pre 1953 pension under EU regulations on social security, giving a total of 33,640 pensions awarded to date. There are currently some 28,600 people in receipt of payments under the pre 1953 provisions.

Applications for a pre 1953 pension involve checking employment records going back over 50 years. Cases arise where no trace of employment contributions can be readily found on the Department's record system. In such instances a more extensive check is initiated including, where appropriate, referral to a social welfare investigator who will be asked to investigate the existence of the employment with the pensioner and the alleged employer, and to make a determination in relation to the contributions due.

It can be difficult to collate records in respect of people who have been engaged in casual employment, and many people who worked with local authorities and some semi-state agencies did so on a casual basis prior to 1953. These difficulties are addressed through the activities of my social welfare inspectors. A breakdown of the number of applicants who failed to qualify for a pre 1953 pension categorised by the nature of their employment is not maintained.

Consequently I am not in a position to provide the information sought as to the number of applicants refused the pension and who claimed to have been employed by local authorities or semi-state bodies.