Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if social insurance contributions made by self-employed persons before 1987 will be recognised for pension purposes when those self-employed persons reach pension age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49738/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Whether social insurance contributions made by self-employed persons before 1987 are reckonable for pension purposes will depend upon the nature of those contributions.

Class S PRSI was introduced for the self-employed in 1988. Prior to 1988 the self-employed could maintain their social insurance record by paying Voluntary Contributions, once they had already been an employed contributor and met the qualifying conditions of the Voluntary Contributions scheme. Generally, Voluntary Contributions maintained entitlement to a limited range of pension payments, including the State pension (contributory).

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.