Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of contributory pensioners on reduced rate pensions, the plans he has to apply annual budget pension increases to all pensioners at the same level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8682/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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There are some 73,270 people on reduced rate old age contributory pensions and 20,620 on reduced rate retirement pensions. These include pro-rata and mixed rate pensions where entitlement is based on a combination of Irish contributions and contributions made in other countries or at different rates of insurance.

Reduced rate or pro-rata pensions are paid at a fixed percentage of the full rate payment and, in order to ensure that the differential between the various rates is maintained, budgetary increases are also applied on a pro-rata basis. For example, a person receiving a payment of 50% of the maximum rate receives 50% of any budget increase applied to the full rate pension.