Vol. 436 No. 5
120 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a PRSI refund is payable to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if this refund will be paid, in view of the fact that it was paid under the PRSI for the self-employed, and this person is not eligible for a contributory old age pension.
Under current regulations people who fail to qualify for an old age contributory or non-contributory pension are entitled to a refund of the old age pension element of any contributions paid provided the person concerned was aged 56 or over when entering social insurance for the first time. These arrangements apply equally to employed and self-employed persons.
According to the records of my Department the person concerned was under 56 when he first entered social insurance. He re-entered social insurance in 1988 when the PRSI scheme was extended to the self-employed, and paid contributions for the next two years. As the person concerned entered social insurance for the first time before he was 56 years of age I regret that he is not eligible for a refund of the social insurance contributions.
