Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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630. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if pension entitlements in respect of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed. [47592/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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A minimum of 520 full-rate paid Irish contributions is required to qualify for the standard state pension (contributory).  According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has 467 full-rate paid Irish contributions.  Since this falls short of the minimum requirement, their claim was disallowed.  The person was notified in writing of this decision on 24 September 2014.

Under European Union Regulations, a person’s EU social insurance record can be combined with their Irish social insurance record, to determine entitlement to an EU pro rata state pension (contributory). The UK social insurance record of the person concerned was requested from the UK pension authority. The Department of Work and Pensions informed my Department that the person does not have a record of UK social insurance contributions.  As the conditions for this pension were not met, the application was disallowed.  The person concerned was notified in writing on 16 April 2015.

As the person concerned is not eligible for the state pension contributory, their entitlement was not reviewed under the total contributions approach. Homemaking credits or homecaring periods for time spent out of the workforce may be used in the determination of the rate of payment for those with an entitlement to a state pension (contributory). It does not remove the requirement to be entitled to such a pension in the first place, based on criteria set out in legislation.

If the person concerned has other periods of insurable employment or self-employment, they should forward details to the state pension contributory section and the matter will be examined.

It is also open to the person concerned to apply for the state pension (non-contributory) which is a means-tested, residency-based payment.  

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.