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Social Insurance Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018

Tuesday, 20 February 2018

Questions (45)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

45. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will report on investigations into errors in changes to PRSI stamp payments for persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8430/18]

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Written answers

The people referred to by the Deputy were public servants who were employed in a permanent and pensionable capacity and who were determined to be paying the wrong class of PRSI. In the first case, the person concerned was made permanent and formally admitted to the superannuation scheme by her employer on 1 September 2006. In 2013, following a request by the employer for an insurability decision, Scope Section determined that the correct class of contribution effective from 1 September 2006 was PRSI Class D. Prior to that, the employee was correctly insured at PSRI Class A. In the second case, the person concerned became permanent and pensionable from 1 July 2006, the date from which the employer should have applied PRSI Class D. The employer in this case sought a decision on 26 June 2012.

As the incorrect class of contribution was paid in both cases, there is no entitlement to any social welfare schemes covered by PSRI Class A contributions. The social welfare payments that both individuals had been in receipt of based on the PRSI Class A contributions incorrectly returned ceased to be paid following the Scope decisions.

In the first case, illness benefit and partial capacity benefit of approximately €15,000 were paid during the period February 2010 and October 2013. Due to the overpayment of PRSI, arrears of €8,000 were due to the employer. These arrears were held against benefits paid. The Department did not pursue any overpayment for the balance of €7,000.

The second person had been in receipt of invalidity pension based on her PRSI Class A contributions. The pension was terminated with effect from 27 February 2013. The Department confirmed with the HSE in relation to the person’s occupational pension that the HSE occupational pension had increased before termination of the invalidity pension.

The Department did not pursue any overpayment of illness benefit and invalidity pension paid from April 2009 to February 2013.

I trust that this clarifies the Department’s role in dealing with these cases.

Questions Nos. 46 and 47 answered orally.
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