Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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339. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will allow paid voluntary contributions to be reckonable for treatment benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60209/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Treatment Benefit is a social insurance scheme provided by this Department. Under this scheme, eligible contributors can access dental and optical services, and grants towards certain medical appliances (hearing aids, medical lenses or wigs).

Contributions made under social insurance (PRSI) Classes A, E, P, H or S count towards eligibility for Treatment Benefit. The amount of social insurance contributions required depends on the person's age.

Voluntary Contributions facilitate employees or self-employed persons who are under the age of 66 and are no longer subject to compulsory PRSI, to pay contributions directly to the department on a voluntary basis.

The system of voluntary contributions was designed to protect certain future payments: State Pension (Contributory), Widow(er)’s Contributory Pension and Guardian’s Contributory Payment entitlements.

These contributions do not cover short-term benefits provided under the Illness, Jobseeker, Maternity, Paternity, Occupational Injury or Treatment Benefit schemes, and they cannot be used to satisfy the social insurance requirements of an Invalidity Pension.

I am not considering changing the qualifying criteria for Treatment Benefit at this time. 

My Department keeps its schemes and services under regular review. Any changes to the current system would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking account of the prevailing economic circumstances, and in particular the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.