Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the options for pension reform which he has under consideration; if he plans to undertake consultation with representatives of pensions associations as a part of this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23387/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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At my request, the Pensions Board is at present conducting a review of our overall pensions strategy. The review encompasses an examination of the main strategic recommendations contained in the national pensions policy initiative including those relating to the adequacy of income in retirement, coverage targets, levels of social welfare pensions, sustainability of State pensions, including public sector pensions and the tax support for private and occupational pensions. The review is also examining the question of alternative ways of addressing adequacy and coverage issues.

I expect to receive the report of the Pensions Board in September and at that stage I will decide what further action, is required in this area. The board will be pleased to accept and consider submissions on the review and possible ways forward. In this regard, in March it invited all interested parties to put forward their views. While a formal consultation process is not proposed at this stage, I stress that there is a representative on the Pensions Board from the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, and groups representing older people can, if they wish, make their views known directly to the board or through their representative.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will indicate the social welfare pension as a percentage of the average industrial wage; the number of persons in receipt of a pension as a percentage of the total number of persons at work here and in each of the EU countries for the most recent year for which comparative date are available. [23388/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The current rate of old age contributory pension, €179.30 per week, represents just under 32% of gross average industrial earnings based on average earnings in 2004. At the end of March 2005, there were about 393,000 older persons in receipt of a social welfare pension. This represents 21% of those at work.

Figures on the numbers in receipt of State pensions in other EU countries are not available. However, the number of people who are over 65 years of age as a percentage of the numbers of working age is, on average, 24.5% across the EU. Italy has the highest ratio at 28.9%, with Slovakia with the lowest at 16.3%. The ratio for Ireland stands at 16.4%.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of the workforce here who have occupational pensions; and the way in which this compares to other EU countries. [23390/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent figures released by the Central Statistics Office on occupational and private pensions coverage relate to the first quarter of 2004. These show that 52.4% of the workforce had a private or occupational pension, including 6.3% with just a private pension. Coverage for the key target group for the national pensions policy initiative, those who are 30 years of age and over, stands at 59.1%.

Comparison with other EU countries is difficult because the structure of pensions systems, the relative importance attaching to different elements of the system, mainly social security and occupational, and their contribution to the incomes of retired people can vary greatly from country to country. A group of countries with near comprehensive coverage, greater than 90% of the workforce, includes Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. As outlined above, the overall coverage rate for Ireland is 52.4% and similar rates are found in countries such as Germany, Belgium and Poland. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that 43% of the workforce are covered by an occupational or private scheme. Countries such as Italy and Portugal have very low rates of coverage, that is, less than 10%.

Achieving an adequate pension level will increasingly depend on private pension provision supplementing public pensions.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will change the rules whereby persons who opt to have the invalidity pension awarded directly into a bank account receive it one week in arrears, even though this arrangement saves the Department approximately €1.24 per week in handling costs; and if arrangements will be made to put such pensioners on to a same week basis. [23393/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides people receiving social welfare payments with a range of payment options including electronic fund transfer, EFT. The majority of those on invalidity pension who opt for this facility do so at the start of their claim and are paid on a regular weekly basis once their claim is put into payment. EFT payments for invalidity pensioners are currently made one week in arrears.

The issue of the alignment of EFT payments with that of other payment methods, including the elimination of the week in arrears payment, is being addressed and the necessary arrangements will be made as soon as possible.