Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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444. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to reports that frontline workers who were asked to return to work back in the Irish healthcare system under the "be on call for Ireland" campaign do not receive PRSI contribution benefits for dental check or glasses, due to the fact that 2020 contributions are calculated and if they have not worked a full year in 2020 they do not receive dental check or glasses, regardless of 2021 contributions or any previous contributions which they had made before emigration; and if she will provide a waiver for frontline workers, in order to receive free dental checks or glasses. [57541/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependant spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions.

If a person is aged under 21, they may qualify if they have paid at least 39 contributions at any time.

Between the age of 21 to 28, a person may qualify if they have paid at least 39 contributions and have at least 39 paid or credited contributions in the governing contribution year.

From the age of 29 onwards a person must have at least 260 paid contributions and have at least 39 paid or credited contributions in the governing contribution year.

The Treatment Benefit scheme applies equally to all insured persons.

The PRSI contributions that count towards Treatment Benefits are Class A, E, H, P, and S and the governing contribution year is currently 2020.

From January 2023 the governing contribution year will be 2021.

I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention.

To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.

The person concerned is currently in receipt of CARB in respect of their father. This is due to expire on 30 November 2022. A new application for CARB was received from the person concerned on the 15 September 2022 in respect of care for their mother to commence from 1 December 2022.

Additional information was requested by a deciding officer on 27 October 2022 in order to establish entitlement for this new claim. This information was received on 16 November 2022. The claim has now been awarded and a decision letter issued to the person concerned on 17 November 2022.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.