Your PRSI payments when your are an employee are topped up by your employer, this entitles you to claim unemployment, reduced dental, reduced optical etc. Once you become self employed even tho you are paying PRSI, it is at a completely different rate and you are the only one putting into it - so it only covers for you old age pension. I became self-employed in 2006 and my PRSI entitlement for free dental check up expired this year. It is a bit irritating but nothing you can do about it unless you wished to pay a full A1 contribution and the employers portion too.