Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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583. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which her recent announcement will impact on a person (details supplied); the benefits this person can expect in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22614/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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To qualify for state pension (contributory) a person must have at least 520 full-rate paid contributions. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has 163 reckonable Irish contributions, which is insufficient to qualify for a standard Irish state pension (contributory). The person’s entitlement to a pension under EU Regulations on Social Security was also examined. However, the person concerned has a combined total of 500 Irish and other EU contributions, which is also below the necessary minimum of 520 contributions.

The Government announcement does not apply to the person concerned, as it only affects qualifying state pension (contributory) claimants since September 2012, whose rate of entitlement was impacted by the 2012 rate band changes.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.