Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will undertake to reinstate the pension forecast service previously offered by his Department. [15395/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department, formerly provided pensions forecasts on request to PRSI contributors. The service was stopped for a number of reasons. For example, it is not possible at a given point in time to indicate with certainty what a person's future entitlements might be. Entitlements obviously will depend on the accuracy of their record to date, future employment patterns and contributions made to the social insurance system up until retirement.

The Department provides a full history of individual social insurance contributions to customers on request along with the booklet 'Working It Out', to assist them in assessing their possible pension entitlement. This enables customers to review their contribution history. Should they identify any 'gaps' in their record, they can have these investigated and rectified in advance of pension application stage.

In 2009, the Department implemented an online facility via its website www.welfare.ie , to allow customers to request their contribution record. Whether requested online or through standard correspondence, the record is currently issued in hard copy. A further development of this facility, the provision of online access for customers to their PRSI contributions record, is included in the Department's modernisation programme.

The Department is currently examining the technologies available to deliver this functionality in a safe and secure environment, and it is planned to implement this service in 2010. This new online service will allow customers to view their contribution records on-screen. It will enable them to establish their entitlement to a contributory-based pension, such as State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Transition) or Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension, using the guidelines and step-by-step calculator provided in the 'Working it Out booklets, taking into consideration the combination of their contribution record at that point and their own projected work pattern prior to reaching pension age.

In addition, the Department operates a network of approximately 130 local and branch offices throughout the country. Information Officers in these offices are available to explain supports and services to people. This locally based service is supported by a central Information Unit which operates a LoCall information line (1890 66 22 44) which customers may call for information and guidance on their entitlements.

The Citizens Information Board, which comes under the aegis of the Department, is the national information agency with responsibility for supporting the provision of independent information and advice on the broad range of social services including social welfare services. Information is provided through Citizens Information Centres and other offices throughout the country, through a phone service (1890 777 121) which operates from 9 am to 9 pm Monday to Friday and on the website at www.citizensinformation.ie.

I am satisfied that these services provide the best approach to providing information to people to enable them to assess their likely pensions entitlements.