Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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122. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be provided with credited contributions for the periods they have been unemployed in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56192/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Credited contributions (credits) are social insurance contributions designed to protect the social insurance entitlement record of insured workers who are not in a position to make PRSI contributions. If, at any stage since starting work, a person has no PRSI contributions paid or credited for 2 full tax years in a row, they cannot be awarded credits again until they return to work and pay PRSI contributions for at least 26 weeks. Contributions paid at Classes J, K, M or S cannot be used to satisfy this condition.

As per the Departments records, the person concerned paid 6 A contributions in 2016, 2 A contributions in 2020 and has a break in her record from 2007 until 2016 and again until 2020. As the person concerned has had a break in her record for 2 full tax years and hasn't paid 26 A contributions since returning to employment she does not have an entitlement to sign for credits.

The legislative provisions governing the award of credits are contained in Chapter 6 (section 33) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. The regulations governing the award of credited contributions are set out in S.I. No. 312 of 1996.