Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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334. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is examining the possibility of amending the regulations in the upcoming Budget to allow for a reduced rate or partial pension for class D contributors (details supplied). [28913/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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One of the qualifying criteria for the State Pension (Contributory) is a minimum of 520 reckonable social insurance contributions. For those who have a mixed record of reduced rate Class B or D contributions, in addition to full rate contributions (e.g. Class A, or Class S), a minimum of 260 (5 years) qualifying contributions paid at the full rate is required to access a mixed-rate State Pension (Contributory). Once an individual has met the 260 qualifying contribution threshold, they will be entitled to a pro-rata rate of State Pension (Contributory) based on their contribution record.

The State Pension (Contributory) is funded by the Social Insurance Fund. The requirement of 5 years paid full contributions to the Social Insurance fund to access the mixed-rate State Pension (Contributory) payment is believed to be a fair requirement and there are no plans to change this requirement.

Where an individual does not qualify for the State Pension (Contributory), or qualifies for a reduced rate State Pension (Contributory) they may opt to apply for the State Pension (Non-Contributory). The State Pension (Non-Contributory) is available to all those who have reached 66 years old. While the payment is means-tested, generous disregards can be applied.

With regard to the payment of pension increases to pensioner members of occupational pension schemes, my Department has no role in setting the level of pension increases received by members of occupational pension schemes. Pension increases are entirely a matter for the scheme trustees and the sponsoring employer. Matters directly related to the scheme referred to by the Deputy should be directed to the relevant Department under whose remit the sponsoring employer operates.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.