Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Social Protection whether revised arrangements for qualification for old age pension on the basis of pre existing partnership enabled a person (details supplied) in County Kildare to qualify for contributory old age pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26141/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The qualifying conditions for State Pension (Contributory) require the applicant to:

· have entered insurable employment before attaining the age of 56 years

· have at least 260 paid contribution weeks, from employment or self-employment, since entry into insurance

· satisfy the yearly average condition.

The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) in December 2008 and was refused on grounds of having insufficient paid contributions.

Although the person concerned has registered self-employment contributions for one year (1999/2000), these are in respect of a period after her 66th birthday and therefore cannot be taken into account when assessing entitlement.

The Department does not have any record of a request for recognition of retrospective partnership on behalf of the person concerned. If she wishes to be considered for a retrospective partnership, she is advised to apply in writing to the Scope section within my Department.