Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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256. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Clare who is currently in receipt of the State pension, contributory, did not receive the maximum rate of payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44536/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned is in receipt of a reduced rate state pension (contributory) based on an assessed yearly average of 35 contributions, covering the period from July 1970 to December 2016.

The person concerned has a social insurance record of 1,625 reckonable contributions and credits. There are gaps in their insurance record for the years 1978 to 1989, from 1990 to 1992, and for the year 2016. These gaps impact on the overall yearly average of the person concerned and consequently their rate of weekly pension entitlement.

The person concerned is in receipt of the correct rate of contributory pension based on their social insurance record held by the Department. If the person considers that additional contributions or credits have not been recorded, it is open to the person concerned to forward documentary evidence of the missing periods of employment to my Department and their pension entitlement will be reviewed.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.