Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 846: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will ensure that an application to refund PRSI contributions in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 is decided as soon as possible. [38389/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The application for a refund of PRSI was received from the person concerned on 1 September 2009 as he continued to pay PRSI at the full rate after reaching 66 years of age in 2006. The volume of applications for refunds of PRSI has increased dramatically in recent years. For example in the first ten months of 2009 some 17,600 applications have been received. This compares with 14,000 in 2008 and 9,000 in 2007. The increased volume of applications has inevitably given rise to a backlog in processing refund applications which currently stands at about eight months.

The Department endeavours to process applications for refunds of PRSI as efficiently as possible. To address the current volume of applications received a review of the processes and procedures is underway in the area. The technical supports currently provided are also being reviewed with a view to making better use of modern technology e.g. payment of refunds by electronic fund transfer, online applications, enhancement of the current calculation functionality etc. When the reviews are completed and the recommendations implemented I am confident that significant improvements will be made in the processing of applications for refunds.