Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 390: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications for invalidity pension rejected in the past 12 months on the grounds of insufficient insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32559/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In the past 12 month period a total of 348 Invalidity Pension applications were refused on the grounds of insufficient insurance contributions. The PRSI contribution conditions for Invalidity Pension require that the claimant must have a total of 260 contributions paid at the appropriate rate (class A, E or H) since entry into insurable employment and 48 paid or credited contributions in the governing contribution year, which currently is the 2006 tax year. Where a claimant has no reckonable contributions paid or credited for two consecutive years, he/she is not entitled to the payment of Invalidity Pension until 26 qualifying contributions have subsequently been paid.

If a person does not satisfy the PRSI conditions for Invalidity Pension based solely on their Irish social insurance record and they have worked in another country covered by EU regulations, periods of insurable employment in that country can be taken into account to help satisfy the qualifying conditions. Periods of insurance in a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement can also be taken into account to help qualify for an Invalidity Pension.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 392: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to liberalise the dental benefit scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32561/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Access to the Dental Benefit Scheme is available to insured people and their dependent spouses who satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions. Services carried out under the Dental Benefit Scheme are delivered by a panel of private practitioners under agreements entered into with the Minister. There are approximately 1,400 Dental practitioners on the Department's panel. In addition, since 5 April 2005, customers can avail of treatment in all EU member states. The current scheme is operating well and this year, to the end of October, some €49.4 million has been expended on the scheme with 583,673 claims received.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 393: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to liberalise the optical benefit scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32562/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Optical Benefit Scheme is available to insured people and their dependent spouses who satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions. Services carried out under the Optical Benefit Scheme are delivered by a panel of private practitioners under agreement entered into with the Minister. There are approximately 460 optical practitioners on the Department's panel. In addition, since 5 April 2005, customers can avail of treatment in all EU member states. The current scheme is operating well. This year, to the end of October, some €13.6 million has been expended on the scheme with 189,500 claims received.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 394: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on improving or liberalising qualification for the back to education allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32563/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As outlined to the Deputy in the reply to his parliamentary Question No. 352 on Wednesday, 31st October, 2007, my Department provides a wide range of second chance education opportunities to facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force.

My Department's employment support measures, in the context of current labour market conditions, are continually monitored to ensure that they continue to support those people who are the most distant from the labour market and whose needs are greatest. However, at this stage it is not proposed to make any further changes to the qualifying criteria.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 395: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the extent to which he will increase old age pension, widows pension or one parent family allowances in accordance with inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32564/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Improvements in the rates of these payments are normally announced on Budget Day. Budget 2008 will be announced tomorrow, Wednesday, December 5.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 396: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the net average weekly income limit which applies to a person who has three children living with them and their partner and is financially supporting a fourth child through maintenance payments; if this person is classed as having three or four children for family income supplement purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32579/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Family Income Supplement (FIS) provides income support for employees on low earnings with families. This preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. The position regarding FIS, for families described by the Deputy, varies depending on the family situation. In general, the person's net average weekly income would be established. Any financial support to another child would then be deducted and entitlement to FIS would be assessed in respect of the appropriate family size, in this case three children. However in some cases it may be necessary to investigate the position more thoroughly depending on specific circumstances of the family.