Ms Aideen Mooney:

This applies to any individual who starts work. Once somebody starts to work as an employee and pays his or her first PRSI employment contribution, there is an automatic period in which he or she is back-granted credits, if one likes, for between two and three years. It is for two full tax years and some of the third year, depending on when the person starts during a particular year. As this applies to everybody, those in direct provision are not at a disadvantage vis-à-visother individuals starting to work in the workforce.