David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the breakdown of the age groups of pre-1953 pensioners by five year interval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33784/06]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost of paying a full rate contributory pension to all pre-1953 pensioners; the cost of same if full payment were only paid to pre-1953 pensioners who are over 80; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33785/06]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to increase the pension rates payable to pre-1953 pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33786/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 to 272, inclusive, together.

A special half rate old age contributory pension was introduced in 2000 to enable people with pre-1953 insurance, who could not qualify for a payment under normal qualifying conditions, to receive a pension. In order to be eligible for the payment, a person requires 260 paid contributions at the appropriate rate, which can comprise a mixture of pre and post 1953 contributions.

At present there are 24,600 people receiving this special pension, many of whom are resident abroad. The number of pre-1953 pensioners broken down by age group is given in the attached table.

The extra yearly cost of paying a full rate contributory pension to all pre-1953 pensioners would be approximately €123 million. The extra cost of paying a full rate to those who are over 80 years of age would be €31 million.

The pre-1953 pension is a special measure designed to benefit a particular group of people, with very limited social insurance records, who would not otherwise qualify for a contributory pension. The qualifying conditions work by giving exemption from one of the more important conditions which those applying for standard rate pensions must satisfy, namely the average contributions test. The basic payment is at present €96.70 per week, which is equivalent to the rate paid to a person receiving a standard pension who has achieved a yearly average of between 10 and 14 contributions on their social insurance record. Pre-1953 pensions are increased each year in line with budget increases paid to those on other reduced pensions.

While I consider that the pre-1953 pension, as it is currently structured, affords an appropriate recognition for the level of contributions which those in question have made. I will continue to monitor the situation in the context of overall pensions reform.