Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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147. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an illness benefit or disability allowance will become payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23114/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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An application for Illness Benefit was received from the person concerned on 8th May 2019.

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 (or 26 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant year and the tax year immediately before the relevant year), of which 13 must be paid contributions at class A, E, H or P.

The person concerned has a total of 31 weeks of paid and credited contributions in 2017 (of which 16 are paid contributions) and 47 weeks of paid and credited contributions in 2016 (of which 12 are paid contributions) and therefore he does not satisfy this contribution condition.

The person concerned will receive credited contributions for the duration of his claim. A decision letter has issued to the person concerned explaining the position.

The Department does not, to date, have a record of receiving an application for Disability Allowance from the person concerned.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.