Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to bring the qualified adult dependant rate of retirement and old age contributory pension in line with the maximum rate of non-contributory old age pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35039/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to introducing a personal entitlement for pensioner spouses currently in receipt of the qualified adult allowance, QAA, set at a level of a full non-contributory pension. In budget 2004, the rate of QAA, for persons aged 66 and over, payable to invalidity pensioners was brought up to the level applicable to equivalent QAAs on old age contributory and retirement pensions. This required a total special increase of €16.10 per week for the relevant invalidity pension QAAs and was the first step towards the fulfilment of the Government's commitment.

The cost, based on current rates of payment, of bringing all of the relevant QAA rates up to the level of the contributory pension personal rate is €47 million in a full year. In that context, further progress on aligning the relevant rates would fall to be considered in a budgetary context.