Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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141. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be permitted to transfer from disability allowance to invalidity pension now that he satisfies the social insurance contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44490/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Invalidity Pension (IP) is payable to an insured person who satisfies certain ##Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions and who is permanently incapable of work due to an illness or incapacity and for no other reason.

Claimants must have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions (class A, E, H or S) since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last or second last complete contribution year before the relevant date of their Invalidity Pension claim.

The relevant date is:

(a) any date after the completion of one year of continuous incapacity for work, or

(b) any lesser period that may be prescribed, subject to the conditions and in the circumstances that may be prescribed where the insured person has entered into a continuous period of incapacity for work and he or she is subsequently proved to be permanently incapable of work.

A qualifying condition for IP is that a person must be regarded as being permanently incapable of work.

Department records indicate that the person concerned has the required contributions for the scheme. However, eligibility for IP can only be established on receipt of a completed application form. This individual should submit an IP application form and their entitlement can then be examined.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.