Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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938. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to review correspondence regarding state pension contributions paid (details supplied) affecting eligibility; to respond to the party on matters raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19882/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Eligibility for the state pension is determined by the Department of Social Protection and any queries in relation to same should, in general, be forwarded to that department.

The person referred to by the Deputy is a former employee of St Angela’s College, now amalgamated with the Atlantic Technological University (ATU), and all queries regarding her employment, including her PRSI class, are a matter for that body. However, in an effort to assist the Deputy, officials in my department contacted ATU seeking clarity on the PRSI contributions paid by the individual concerned during their employment in St. Angela’s College.

ATU confirmed the pensioner paid PRSI class D rate contributions throughout her service with St. Angela's College as she did not have a break in service when she moved from St. Catherine's College.

I also understand there was an initial error made when the individual concerned moved to St. Angela’s College where she was incorrectly paying class A rate PRSI contributions. This error was fully rectified and the individual concerned was returned to Class D rate contributions with the overpayment of PRSI contributions relating to this error being refunded.

As the individual concerned was a class D rate PRSI contributor during her employment with St. Angela’s College, I understand this service does not qualify towards a contributory state pension entitlement from the Department of Social Protection.