Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused a grant for hearing aids, when they are in receipt of the State pension (non-contributory), live alone, have a full GMS card and the deterioration in their hearing has become a health and safety issue within their home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48931/23]

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.

In order to qualify a person needs to have at least 260 PRSI contributions paid at either Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39 contributions paid or credited in the relevant contribution year on which the claim is based.

The person concerned does not qualify for treatment benefit under the Department's PRSI scheme. Although she has the required 260 total paid contributions, Department records show that she does not have the 39 paid or credited contributions in the relevant tax years. If this information is incorrect, the person concerned can have their record corrected by contacting the Treatment Benefit section.

If the person concerned is the holder of a medical card, she may have an entitlement to benefit under the HSE scheme. She should contact her local HSE health office for advice on her entitlement under that scheme.

I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether any consideration is being given to broadening the eligibility for the State maternity benefit so as to ensure PhD candidates can receive its benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48933/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Maternity Benefit is a statutory payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. The fundamental qualification criteria for Maternity Benefit are that a woman must be in insurable employment and entitled to statutory maternity leave or be in insurable self-employment.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has policy and legal responsibility for Maternity Leave. Any changes to current maternity leave provisions to include PhD candidates are a matter for his Department to consider in the first instance.

Any proposal to change the qualifying criteria for the associated Maternity Benefit would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Invalidity Pension is a social insurance scheme paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Eligibility is based on Pay Related Social Insurance contributions and medical condition. To qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months; or must be permanently incapable of work.

Claimants must have 260 weeks of paid contributions since starting work and 48 weeks of paid or credited PRSI contributions in the last or second-last complete year before the 'relevant date' – this is the date of the start of the person's permanent incapacity for work as determined by the department. This date is usually after a year of being incapable of working but can be less where a person is considered permanently incapable of work.

There has been an extensive expansion of access to the range of social insurance benefits for self-employed contributors in recent years without any increase in the 4% rate of PRSI contribution made by them. From December 2017, self-employed people who have paid the required Class S PRSI contributions have become eligible to apply for Invalidity Pension. It is not possible to apply eligibility on a retrospective basis before this point.

Self-employed people may qualify for other long-term payments, such as Disability Allowance. Disability Allowance is a social assistance payment for people with a disability who are aged 16-66 and are a resident in the State. Applicants are subject to medical and means assessments.

My department keeps its income supports under review to make sure they meet their objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.