Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2020
162. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a previous application for a contributory pension based on self-employment and partnership contributions in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32015/20]
View answerThe person concerned reached pension age on 1 October 1994. They applied for State pension (contributory) on 10 October 1997.
According to the records of my Department, the person had entered insurable employment after the age of 56. They had a social insurance record of 156 contributions from self-employment for the tax years from 1991/92 to 1993/94 inclusive. They did not satisfy the qualifying conditions for State pension (contributory) at the time of their application.
A partial State pension (contributory) for the self-employed was introduced from 9 April 1999, for applicants who were aged 56 or over on the 6 April 1988, since self-employed persons were not liable to pay social insurance (PRSI) contributions before that date. However, since they had fewer than the minimum requirement of 260 paid contributions, the person did not qualify for this pension in 1999.
The Scope Section of my Department investigated the insurability of the person’s self-employment prior to 1991/92 to ascertain if further Class S contributions could be awarded on their social insurance record. The person concerned was not considered to be insurably employed or self-employed and additional contributions could not be awarded.
As they did not qualify for State pension (contributory), the person concerned applied for a refund of the pension element of their contributions. It was confirmed to them in writing on 24 June 1999 that this had been refunded.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
