Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 442: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to allow persons to continue to work and pay PRSI contributions beyond pension age to gain eligibility for an old age contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12363/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The National Pensions Review, published in January 2006, includes recommendations from the Pensions Board designed to encourage people to continue working after normal retirement age. The measures suggested involve allowing people to defer receiving their social welfare pension at normal pension age and to grant them an actuarially enhanced payment when they claim. The Pensions Board also considered that if this was combined with allowing those with less than full entitlements to count contributions made after age 65 or 66 in order to improve their contribution record, this would complete the incentives for longer working within the social welfare pensions system.

However, there are many aspects to the issue of longer working and these will need to be addressed in a comprehensive way. As the House is aware, the Government is preparing a Green Paper on pensions. This is being finalised at present and I expect to be in a position to publish it in the near future. The Green Paper will include an examination of all the issues surrounding retirement age, the barriers faced by older workers who wish to remain in employment and the incentives in this regard which can be offered through the social welfare system. Following the publication of the Green Paper, a consultation process will take place and the Government will respond to this by publishing a framework for future policy in this area.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 443: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost to the Exchequer of increasing State pensions to at least €300. [12389/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The estimated cost of increasing all weekly contributory and non-contributory payments to pensioners to €300 per week is €2,019 million in a full year. This includes the cost of increasing payments to qualified adults to maintain their current proportionate relationship to the personal weekly rates of payment.