Social insurance and Brexit
John Brady asked when analysis of reciprocal social insurance arrangements and no-deal Brexit impacts would be shared, especially for pensioners in receipt of English pensions. Minister Regina Doherty said a double-lock convention had been agreed and that the relevant Bill heads had been published and would soon be brought before the House.
I wish to ask about the reciprocal arrangements for social insurance schemes between England, Ireland and the North and the impact a no-deal Brexit will have on them. We are constantly informed by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that it is carrying out a deep analysis of all possible scenarios on a scheme-by-scheme basis. The Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, has committed to sharing the analysis at the appropriate time. For the 120,000 people living in Ireland who are in receipt of English pensions, the appropriate time is long past. When will the analysis be shared and could we have a timeframe for it?
Comment on this
As I informed the House last week - I will reconfirm it this week - a convention was agreed between myself and the then Minister, Esther McVey, in April of last year. That convention was subsequently reaffirmed by me and the new Minister, Amber Rudd, when she took over in December. It will be signed later this week. The convention will ensure a double lock in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The heads of the Bill for which I am responsible were published last week and will be presented to the House on 22 February.