Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

653. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the voluntary development worker scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1545/17]

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

Volunteer development workers who work abroad in developing countries are exempt from paying social insurance contributions while abroad. They may, however be awarded credited contributions (credits) for the duration of their absence, up to an aggregate of 5 years.

A volunteer development workers is defined as a person who is employed temporarily outside the State in a developing country and has secured that employment -

(a) by or through the Department of Foreign Affairs or by or through a non-governmental agency in the State, or

(b) by or through a governmental or non-governmental agency in any Member State other than the State, or

(c) directly with the government of a developing country,

and who is employed by any of those agencies or by the government of the developing country or by both under conditions of remuneration similar to local conditions applying in that country and who was resident in the State immediately before taking up that employment.

Credits may be awarded to volunteer development workers provided they had an attachment to the workforce in the previous two years prior to their departure and had engaged in preparatory training in the State prior to taking up employment in the developing country.

The primary purpose of credits is to secure social welfare entitlement of employees by covering gaps in insurance where they are not in a position to pay PRSI such as during periods of unemployment, illness, including up to 5 years as an overseas development worker. Credits do not, on their own, give an individual entitlement to social insurance benefits. They may, however, may assist insured workers to qualify for various social insurance benefits.

The scheme to award credits to volunteer development workers was introduced in June 1985, to implement the provisions of Council Directive 85/308/EEC of 13 June 1985 on social protection for volunteer development workers. To enable such workers returning to Ireland in 1985, to access social insurance benefits immediately upon their return, provision was made for the award of credits to volunteer development workers from April 1983.

As the individual in question had completed his development work overseas prior to April 1983, there is no provision for the retrospective award of overseas development worker credits. While access to credits is available to those who undertook overseas development work since 1983, this individual is in the same position as other overseas workers who had completed their volunteer development work prior to the implementation of the provisions of the Council Directive in 1983.

If you require any further assistance on this please do not hesitate to contact Philip in my office.