2056. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason there is no mechanism to expedite an application for a State Pension (contributory) in circumstances where the applicant is dying; and his plans to introduce such a mechanism. [62247/26]

Currently 99% of State Pension contributory applications are processed by date of entitlement with an average time of 2 weeks to award a claim from the date it is received.

While there is no formal mechanism to fast-track a state pension contributory application solely on the grounds that an applicant is terminally ill, the Department treats such cases as a priority once it becomes aware of the individual's circumstances. In these situations, every effort is made to expedite the processing of the claim and issue a decision as quickly as possible.

If the Deputy is aware of any applicant who is terminally ill and awaiting a decision on their state pension contributory claim, you can either provide the details directly to me or contact the Pensions Section in Sligo. This will ensure that the case is prioritised for processing.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.