Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused illness benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20235/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned does not satisfy the PRSI qualifying conditions for payment of Illness Benefit.

One of the qualifying conditions for Illness Benefit is that a person must have 39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, of which 13 must be paid contributions at class A, E, H or P.

The person concerned is currently paying class D contributions, which is not a qualifying class of contribution for Illness Benefit and therefore she does not satisfy this contribution condition.

The person concerned did receive credited contributions for the duration of her claim from the 28th April 2018 to the 10th September 2019. A decision letter has issued to the person concerned explaining the position.

The person concerned previously qualified for Occupational Injury Benefit payment in 2016 as class D contributions are reckonable contributions for this scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.