James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

439. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to review the policy which excludes Irish citizens from building up A Class contributions while working in the European Patent Office despite other Irish citizens in other European institutions being able to do so; to extend this allowance to the European Patent Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12721/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The issues raised by the Deputy relate to a ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Gardellacase (Case C-233/12). This is a complicated ruling and its implications are being considered by the various Member States.

In essence, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that periods of employment with an international organisation established in the territory of another Member State must be taken into account, in certain circumstances, by Member States when calculating entitlement to social security old age pensions.

The implications of this ruling for the operation of the Irish contributory social welfare pension system are currently being examined by the Department of Social Protection and I will contact the Deputy on the matter as soon as this examination has been completed.