The person concerned applied for retirement pension on 30 October 2002. He does not qualify for this pension as he fails to satisfy the statutory condition requiring him to have at least 260 full rate contributions paid since first entering insurance. According to my Department's records he has a total of 226 full rate contributions paid since he entered insurance in 1955. This condition also needs to be satisfied to qualify for old age contributory pension at age 66.
In addition to not having the required minimum number of paid contributions, the person concerned also fails to satisfy the qualifying condition requiring him to have a yearly average of at least 24 contributions paid or credited over the period from January 1955 to December 2002. According to my Department's records he has a yearly average of 11 over this period. The person concerned was notified of the decision on his retirement pension claim on 28 January 2003.
As the person concerned was also insurably employed in England details of his UK insurance record have been requested from the UK social security authorities. On receipt of this information his entitlement to an EU pro rata retirement pension will be examined and he will be notified of the position.
Under social welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims are made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.