Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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451. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an illness benefit application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22401/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from this gentleman on 11 March 2019. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.

The person concerned applied for Illness Benefit on 15th January 2019 and was informed that he was not entitled to payment as he does not satisfy the contribution conditions, one of which is that a person must have 39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, which in this case is 2017.

According to the Department's records, the person concerned does not have any paid contributions in the relevant tax year.

If he believes he has further contributions that are not reflected in the Department's records, he should supply the Department with evidence of this from his employer and his entitlement to Illness Benefit will be reviewed.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.