Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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357. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding the treatment benefit scheme eligibility review; if consideration has been given to extending the scheme to retired persons who paid a class D PRSI contribution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43061/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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A review of the qualifying criteria for the treatment benefit scheme was carried out by the Department earlier this year.

Section 24 of the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act 2019 provided that the Minister “shall conduct a review and lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the current criteria in place in order to qualify for treatment benefit and specifically to examine the number of contributions required for 25-65 year olds and that the report shall be presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection within 6 months of the enactment of this Act.”

The report, entitled "Report Required under Section 24 of the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act 2019 on the Criteria to Qualify for Treatment Benefit" was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in August 2020. The report recommended that a detailed data analysis to identify the numbers and types of contributors who do not qualify for Treatment Benefit and the reasons be carried out under the commitment under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to “Review operation of the Treatment Benefit scheme and consider options to improve its impact in reducing deprivation and poverty”. Retired persons who paid class D PRSI contributions are encompassed under this cohort of people who do not qualify for Treatment Benefit and will be considered in that context.

Any proposal to extend the treatment benefit scheme would have to be considered in a budgetary context, taking account of the current economic circumstances and with a view to the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.