Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way a rate of contributory pension was calculated in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [46991/10]

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 satisfies the above conditions and has a total of 628 reckonable (paid and credited) PRSI contributions. When this total is divided by 47 (the number of years from date of entry into insurance to the end of the last tax year prior to reaching age 66), this gives a yearly average of 13 contributions, and entitles her to a reduced State pension (contributory) of €115.20 (50% of the maximum rate).

As the spouse of the person concerned is currently in receipt of an increase for qualified adult (IQA) of €130.10 per week in his jobseeker's allowance in respect of her, it was considered more financially beneficial to reject the claim for State pension (contributory) in favour of continued IQA payment at the higher rate.