Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
445. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if Ireland has a social security agreement policy with South Korea, whereby if mandatory pension contributions which are being made by Irish citizens working there at present can be included in their pension contributions at retirement age in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27255/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has negotiated Bilateral Social Security Agreements with a number of countries, including with the Republic of Korea which came into effect in 2009.
The main purpose of these Agreements is to protect the pension rights of people who have worked and paid social security contributions in Ireland and the countries with which Ireland has such agreements. This is achieved by allowing reckonable social security contributions paid in one or more of these countries to be aggregated with Irish full-rate social insurance contributions for the purposes of qualifying for certain contributory payments in Ireland or in these countries.
Each State Pension claim is then considered on its own merits and within the terms of the relevant scheme guidelines.
If the Deputy has a particular case in mind and provides my office with the details, I will have the matter examined.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
