Vol. 503 No. 3
429 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved a partial contributory pension based on his contributions paid; and if he will be assessed for a non-contributory pension. [9979/99]
The person concerned applied to my Department for an old age (contributory) pension in September 1998. One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of pension is that the claimant must have a minimum of 156 reckonable insurance contributions paid from the date he entered into insurable employment up to the time he reached pension age. The person concerned has a total of 153 reckonable contributions paid and, accordingly, does not qualify for pension. He was notified of this and of his right of appeal. The details of his insurance record as held by the Department are also being sent to him.
The entitlement of the person concerned to an old age (non-contributory) pension was also examined. However, in December 1998, he notified an officer of my Department in writing that he wished to withdraw his claim to this pension. If he would like to re-activate this claim, he should notify the pension services office of my Department in Sligo.
