Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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775. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the social welfare entitlements of a person (details supplied). [48688/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned reached pension age on 5 April 2013.

In order to qualify for state pension (contributory) an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions which equates to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 441 full-rate contributions which falls short of the requisite 520 full-rate contributions.

I introduced a number of reforms to the State pension (contributory) including a provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years (1040 weeks). If the person concerned was a carer, it is open to them to apply for long-term carers contributions (LTCC). Periods of caregiving do not need to be consecutive. If the criteria are met, the equivalent of paid contributions may be attributed to cover gaps in their contribution record for State pension (contributory).

If the person concerned has reckonable contributions in another EU or EEA country or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement, they may qualify for a pro-rata state pension. The rate of entitlement is based on the proportion of Irish full-rate contributions to the person’s total combined Irish and foreign social insurance contributions.

The person concerned was in receipt of State pension (non-contributory) from 5 April 2013. Following a review, this payment ceased with effect from 28 July 2023, as their means exceeded the statutory weekly limit based on their spouse’s income from employment. If their circumstances have changed, it is open to the person concerned to reapply for this pension.

The person concerned is in receipt of the Household Benefits Package consisting of a free television licence and a monthly electricity or gas allowance.