Written answers

Tuesday, 3 July 2007

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Pension Provisions

9:00 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will, over the course of the term of this Government, introduce pension concessions for persons excluded from pension due to the fact that the scheme for disregarding years spent in home-caring only came into effect in 1994 and did not apply retrospectively. [18460/07]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme which was introduced in and took effect from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. However, the scheme will not of itself qualify a person for a pension. The standard qualifying conditions, which require a person to enter insurance 10 years before pension age, pay a minimum of 260 contributions at the correct rate and achieve a yearly average of at least 10 contributions on their record from the time they enter insurance until they reach pension age, must also be satisfied.

The question of backdating the homemaker's scheme gives rise to difficult and complex issues, not least of which is the position of other groups excluded from social insurance cover over the years and who do not qualify for contributory pensions. In general, changes to insurability of employment are not backdated and the same principle was applied to the homemaker's scheme when it was introduced in 1994.

It is estimated that there are some 47,000 people who are not receiving a social welfare pension payment in their own right, or as a qualified adult on the pension of their spouse or partner. In this context, the Government is committed to producing a Green Paper on pensions in accordance with the partnership agreement Towards 2016. Decisions regarding pension provision for people who do not currently qualify for a social welfare pension will be made in the context of the framework for long-term pensions policy, which will be developed after the Green Paper has been published and a consultation process has been completed.

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