Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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558. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures in place to ensure that women forced to leave the civil service due to the marriage bar can access a non-means-tested State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33599/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The marriage bar was a legal requirement for women in the Irish civil service and some areas of the public service to retire from employment after marriage. While the legislation applied only to the civil and public sector, a similar policy was adopted by other sectors, such as the banking sector. The marriage bar for civil servants was removed from legislation in 1973.

The impact of the marriage bar on State Pension eligibility for many women varied depending on the sector they worked in and whether they returned to paid employment. Therefore, it is difficult to identify all those whose entitlement to State Pension was impacted by the marriage bar. It is also worth remembering that most civil and public servants recruited prior to 1995 are not entitled to the State Pension (Contributory) and would not have been entitled to it had they continued working as a civil or public servant, regardless of gender and marital status, due to the application of a modified PRSI rate.

Provisions exist for the award of a mixed insurance pro-rata State pension, where a person has substantial periods of PRSI coverage that are not reckonable for State Pension (Contributory) purposes (i.e. modified contributions). In order to qualify for a pro rata pension, a person must have a minimum of 260 full-rate paid contributions since their entry into insurance.

The State Pension (Contributory) system currently gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role. PRSI Credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate. Since April 2019, State Pension (Contributory) applications are assessed under all possible methods with the most beneficial payment rate paid to the applicant.

In January 2024, Long Term Carers Contributions were introduced which allow those who provided full time care to incapacitated individuals to receive reckonable contributions for the time spent giving that care, provided they cared for at least 20 years. Long Term Carers Contribution are considered the equivalent of paid contributions and can be used to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory). They are available to those who reached State pension age (66) on or after the 1 January 2024 and to those who had already reached State pension age at that date.

Where a person reaches State Pension age and does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for State Pension (Contributory) or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, they may instead qualify for one of the following:

• The State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is a means-tested payment (based on their share of household means) with a maximum payment of 95% of the State Pension (Contributory); or
• An increase for a qualified adult (IQA) (based on their own means), amounting up to 90% of a full rate State Pension (Contributory) where their spouse has a contributory pension; or
• Where their spouse/civil partner is deceased, a widow's/widower's/civil partner's contributory pension, which they may claim either based on their spouse's or their own social insurance record. The qualifying conditions for this require fewer contributions paid (260) than the SPC for the maximum personal rate for those aged 66 or over.