State contributory pension query - gaps in PRSI contribution record

My PRSI record doesn't show anything by month, just financial year , so 1995/1996 is the start (I embarrassingly made a mistake calculating my own 16th birthday by the way! There is no issue there. It looks like nothing was credited before my 16th birthday) but I should have 52 pre-entry credits in the first year it seems, but I don't. A couple of questions:
1) Is it possible to get PRSI statements that show the contributions and which employer paid them?
2) Can I get copies of lost P60s/P45s anywhere or were they only issued by the employer and if they're gone, they're gone?

The employers concerned would have ceased trading many years ago at this stage so directly asking is not an option unfortunately. I am scraping around looking for stamps here and there as I am really close to the 2080 likely required for a full COAP.

The pre entry credits usually are not shown on the statement. I don't know if a person who starts work in the year of their 16th birthday would get credits back to their birth date or the start of the employment year. I my case my employment start date for Prsi purposes is 1st September 1975, but I have pec's back to 1st January 1975.
This means that pec's can extend beyond the Prsi employment period.
I would imagine that it would be unfair to deprive a 16 year old of pec's back to the 1st January of their employment start year. You would need to contact DSP to check how the system operates for a 16 year old.

I have checked my Prsi statements and in my start year I was given pec's back to January. However there is a complication. The Prsi contributions were called ORD back then and they are listed for the calender year. In year 1978/79 I got 66 ORDs and the statement years switched from April to April. In 2001 the statement years switched back to calender years. I therefore have no idea how the pec's would be applied for year 1995/96.

Thanks so much for taking the time to check that for me! I have sent an email to the DSP to ask them is there anything they can do about the gaps and I will ask them about the PECs as well once the first question is answered. I find asking too many questions at once leads to some being missed altogether. I'm not particularly optimistic but it's worth asking. I have found the attitude in the DSP is one of wanting to help you get any credits or contributions you were entitled to listed on your record so I reckon if the answer is no it's really fairly cut and dry. I've scanned in a reference letter I received from the employer in question in 1996/1997 and it may help my case but it's very tenuous "evidence" so I won't be holding it against them if they can't accept it.

If there is a record of payment of income tax, held by Revenue for the missing years, there is a good chance of getting the prsi contributions back on your statement.

S class said:

If there is a record of payment of income tax, held by Revenue for the missing years, there is a good chance of getting the prsi contributions back on your statement.

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The reference letter does show the bar's VAT number so maybe Revenue could find the company's records through that, assuming Revenue "helps out" when the DSP asks it to. I really don't know how much manpower the DSP has. They can't realistically chase everything up but who knows. They have my email now so I will keep you posted if anything happens, positive or negative.

S class said:

there is a good chance

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I'd be sceptical of the willingess and/or capacity of Revenue to locate precise records from a quarter of a century ago.

But if you have any luck let us know how you got on. I had an employer in that era who I think pocketed my PRSI contributions (probably only about 20 weeks) and I've toyed with the idea of looking for them back.

DSP would only need to check if you paid income tax during the missing years. If you did then you were employed. They can then chase the employer for any unpaid prsi.

NoRegretsCoyote said:

I'd be sceptical of the willingess and/or capacity of Revenue to locate precise records from a quarter of a century ago.

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My wife got unpaid prsi from years not paid by employer back on her statement going back to those times. Fortunately she had retained her P60s. I don't know how long Revenue keep records put it's worth making a claim.