Using UK voluntary contributions to qualify for an Irish part contributory pension

[Forumuser]

Here is a theoretical question:

Suppose someone is a few contributions short of the 520 paid PRSI rule to qualify for an Irish part contributory pension. Can that person make up the missing contributions by using UK voluntary contributions to qualify for an Irish part contributory pension?

 

[Dr Strangelove]

I am open to correction put to my knowledge they have to be what is known as compulsory contributions which distinguishes them from voluntary ones.

Compulsory contributions originate from employment or self-employment only.

 

[Forumuser]

These are the government's operational guidelines for a contributory pension:

Operational Guidelines: State Pension Contributory

www.gov.ie

Its says under "second qualifying condition":

• a person reaching drawdown date on or after 6 April 2012 must have paid 520 full-rate employment contributions, or, if at least 260 full-rate employment contributions are paid, the balance of the 520 can be made up with high rate voluntary contributions.

So obviously voluntary contributions can be used if you have at least 260 compulsory contributions paid. I presume this rule is still in force because there are people out there who started paying voluntary contributions when the rules for being accepted onto the voluntary contribution sheme were that you only had to have 260 paid contributions due to work.
I was wondering how that worked out in real life. Has anyone ever used UK voluntary contributions to reach the 520 contribution rule? Was such an undertaking ever used by the pension office to disallow an application for a contributory pension?

 

[Conan]

Under the Bi-Lateral Social Security Agreements, someone with UK National Insurance record could seek to transfer those years to Ireland so as to improve their Irish PRSI record.