Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person who has eligibility for a partial public service pension from approximately seven to eight years service prior to 1995 and a further period of approximately 11 years from 1997, and also has full eligibility for a State pension, can avail of the full rate of State pension in addition to the partial public service pension; or if any abatement will apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12149/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The State Pension (Contributory) is paid to people from the age of 66 who have enough Irish social insurance contributions. To qualify for this pension, a person must have paid social insurance contributions before a certain age, have a certain number of social insurance contributions paid, and have a certain average number over the years since the person first started to pay social insurance.

Qualification for the State Pension (Contributory) is not affected by the level of public service pension to which a person is entitled. Qualification is based upon a person's social insurance record and the rate at which social insurance was paid. Since 1991, a State Pension (Contributory) may be payable on a pro-rata basis to people with mixed insurance, that is where the person has paid at the full and modified rates of social insurance. Public servants recruited before 1995 pay social insurance at the modified rate.