Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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879. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be finalised on an invalidity pension claim by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [23542/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.

To qualify for IP a claimant must, inter alia, have at least 260 (5 years') paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last or second last complete contribution year before the relevant date for their claim.

The department received a claim for IP for the gentleman concerned on 21 March 2019. The claim was disallowed on 09 April 2019 on the grounds that the contribution conditions under national legislation for the scheme were not satisfied.

EU Regulations provide that insurance contributions made in any other EU Member State may be aggregated with Irish contributions in order to satisfy the contribution conditions for IP. A request was sent to the UK social security authorities requesting the gentleman's UK insurance record. Upon receipt of same, the IP claim will be finalised and he will be notified directly of the outcome.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.