Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Treatment Benefit scheme, which includes Medical Appliance Benefit, is a PRSI-based scheme for which customers may qualify once they have paid a certain number of reckonable PRSI contributions. Only PRSI at classes A, E, H, and P is reckonable. As the person concerned is aged over 66, the Regulations require him to have paid, or been credited with, at least 39 PRSI contributions at class A, E, H, or P, in any of the following years: 1990/91, 1991/92 (the two tax years before age 66 years or 1984/85, 1985/86 (the two tax years before turning 60 years).

However, according to this Department's records, he has paid class D PRSI since 1979. Class D contributions do not count towards qualification for Treatment Benefit, and therefore, based on the qualifying conditions, he does not qualify. He may previously have qualified for benefit at some point, but eligibility is established anew each year (up to age 66), depending on the previous year's PRSI class. Qualifying conditions differ from scheme to scheme, so it is possible to qualify for the State Contributory Pension while not qualifying for Treatment Benefit.