Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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1099. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment counts as contributions or reckonable contributions for the State pension, contributory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8885/20]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in March 2020 as a time-limited emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

It is proposed that workers in respect of the COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment should be granted paid contributions for the duration of the emergency measures.  This will be important in order to protect a person’s entitlement to future payments - both long-term payments such as pensions and shorter term payments such as Illness, Maternity and Paternity Benefits which require a contribution record up to the date at which benefit is claimed. Primary legislation is required for this which my Department is currently working on.

I trust this clarifies the position at this time.