Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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489. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) has an entitlement to a pension based on their social contributions while working; and if she will provide the contributions record of the person as held by her Department. [48124/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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According to the records of the Department, the person concerned has a social insurance record of 630 paid and credited contributions, covering the period from 1953 to 2001. The person is in receipt of a reduced rate state pension (contributory) based on an assessed yearly average of 13 contributions. The person concerned is in receipt of the correct rate of contributory pension based on this record and was notified at the time, in writing, of their award of state pension (contributory) with effect from 22 February 2002.

The person has no recorded contributions from the tax years 1964/65 to 2000/01 which impacts on the person’s overall yearly average and, consequently, on their rate of weekly pension entitlement. If the person concerned considers they have additional contributions or credits that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence of missing periods of employment and my Department will review their pension entitlement. Similarly, if the person has un-notified homemaking periods from 6th April 1994 spent out of the workforce caring for a child under the age of 12, or incapacitated person(s), the person should provide those details to my Department.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.