Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) has sufficient social protection contributions to qualify for a disability benefit or an invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43047/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Illness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. One of the PRSI conditions is that a person must have a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year. Claims made in 2015 are governed by the 2013 tax year, and only PRSI Classes A, E, H, and P are reckonable for illness benefit purposes. According to the Department’s records, it appears that the person concerned does not satisfy the PRSI contribution criteria for illness benefit.

Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. To qualify for IP claimants must, inter-alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete contribution year before the date of their claim. Only PRSI classes A, E or H contributions are reckonable for IP purposes.

According to the Department’s records, it appears that the person concerned does not satisfy the PRSI contribution criteria for IP. However entitlement to illness benefit and invalidity pension can only be definitively determined on receipt of the completed claim forms.