Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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354. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for illness benefit of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23983/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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 2016 are governed by the 2014 tax year, and only PRSI Classes A, E, H, and P are reckonable for illness benefit purposes.

The person concerned made a claim to illness benefit and this claim was received in my department on 15 June 2016. This claim was disallowed as the person concerned does not satisfy the above contribution criteria. According to my Departments records the person concerned has no contributions or credits for the 2014 year.

The person concerned has been notified of this decision.

An application for disability allowance has also been received from the person concerned. This is a means tested payment, where a person has a disability which is expected to last for at least twelve months. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of this claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

If the person concerned is unable to meet their needs or the needs of their household, they may be entitled to supplementary welfare allowance and should contact the Department's community welfare services at their local Intreo centre.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy