Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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559. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if partial capacity benefit is available to self-employed persons who have been ineligible for illness benefit or invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5066/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a number of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. There is a range of benefits available to people who make Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Entitlement to such benefits is dependent on the individual's social insurance contribution record, the class of social insurance paid as well as satisfying other qualification criteria relevant to the scheme. A person who has an insufficient PRSI contribution record to qualify for a social insurance benefit/pension may apply for the appropriate means-tested social assistance scheme.

There has been an expansion of access to the range of social insurance benefits for self-employed social insurance contributors in recent years, which now includes:

Adoptive Benefit,

Guardian's Payment (Contributory),

Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed),

Maternity Benefit,

Invalidity Pension,

Parent's Benefit,

Paternity Benefit,

State Pension (Contributory),

Treatment Benefit,

Widows, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension, and

Partial Capacity Benefit (where in receipt of Invalidity Pension).

The Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) scheme has been designed to support people who are in receipt of Illness Benefit (for at least 26 weeks) or Invalidity Pension, as listed above, and who have retained some capacity for work and wish to return to employment. Employees and Self-employed Persons not in receipt of Illness Benefit (for 26 weeks) or Invalidity Pension are not eligible for the scheme.

The Department regularly reviews its supports and payments schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives. While any proposed changes have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.