Just to try and clarify things:
1. Pension entitlements: PRSI of national Insurance records can be combined between EU countries (and some others) to qualify a person for a pension. It can also happen that a person can qualify for two pensions, one from each country. All this depends on qualifying criteria, inusrance paid, tec..
.
As I understand it, if you work 20 years in EU15 country A, 10 years in EU15 country B and 10 years in EU15 country C, A should pay half of what they would pay as a full pension, B and C should pay a quarter each of what they would pay as full pension.
I'm not sure what effect the higher retirement ages that are coming in will have on this.
4. If you are travelling to look for work in another country and in receipt of Jobseeker's benefit in Ireland, you can still get paid that benefit for up to 3 months roughly while abroad. But you must have all this arranged before you go adn it may not get paid out too quickly by the other country's agency!
There may be further restriction - you have to be eligible for 3 more months of JB to get the payment for 3 months and you have to be signing on for at least 4 weeks in Ireland before transferring. Then if you return, you cannot transfer it out again without having worked in the interim period.
Some European countries pay social welfare monthly, not weekly, so you might have to wait until the end of the month.
5. Health cover is a different kettle of fish entirely. The European health Insurance Card is the main proof of cover abroad and has nothing to due with how many PRSI contributions you have (apart from the fact that some % of it is a Health Levy!)
Hope this helps a little....
Yep, that's what I meant, the EHIC.