David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons receiving the blind person's pension and the overall cost in the current year of paying this pension; the extra amount required to bring the blind person's pension rate to the contributory old-age pension rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31159/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 1,982 people receiving blind pensions from my Department. The blind pension scheme is expected to cost €16.9 million in 2005. The estimated additional cost of increasing the rate of blind pension to the equivalent rate of old-age contributory pension is €1.4 million per annum. Any increase in the rate of blind persons pension could only be considered in a budgetary context and in with regard to pensions reform.