Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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644. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 625 of 10 November 2018, if the person (details supplied) qualifies for this payment or, alternatively, disability allowance, having regard to their condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50184/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department administers the Illness Benefit scheme to those customers who cannot work because they are sick or ill provided they are covered by the appropriate class of social insurance (PRSI) and satisfy the PRSI conditions.

The person concerned does not qualify for a payment of Illness Benefit as he does not satisfy the second PRSI qualifying condition which is as follows:

39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, of which 13 must be paid contributions. If you do not have 13 paid contributions in the relevant tax year, then 13 paid contributions in one of the following tax years can be used instead:

- Either of the two tax years before the relevant tax year

- The last complete tax year (before the year in which your claim for Illness Benefit begins)

- The current tax year

or

26 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the relevant tax year, and 26 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.

The relevant tax year is the second-last complete tax year before the year in which the claim for Illness Benefit begins.

Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability which as a result of, they are substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable having regard to the person's age, experience and qualifications. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical examination and a means test. It is open to the person concerned to make an application for DA.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.