Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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916.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person is entitled to State pension (contributory) payments (details supplied).[33994/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned reached pension age on 17 September 2017.

The state pension (contributory) was awarded from their 66th birthday. It is currently paid at the weekly rate of €249.30. Based on the records of my department, the person concerned has 1,510 reckonable paid and credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment in 1969 up to the tax year prior to reaching pension age. This equates to a yearly average of 31 contributions which gives entitlement to 90% of the maximum rate state pension (contributory).

I have arranged for a copy of the social insurance record of the person concerned to issue along with a detailed explanatory note to assist in understanding their record, and information on how to calculate entitlement to state pension (contributory). If they consider that there are additional contributions or credits that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence to Social Welfare Services, College Road, Sligo, F91 T384.

It is also open to the person concerned to apply for the means-tested State Pension (non-contributory), the maximum rate of which equates to 95% of the maximum rate of State Pension (contributory).

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.