Moldova will sign a social agreement with Ireland, home to 30,000 Moldovan citizens
Years of employment in the Republic of Moldova and Ireland can be combined to determine pension eligibility. On Wednesday, October 21, the government in Chișinău approved the initiation of negotiations for, and the signing of, a social security agreement with the country where approximately 30,000 Moldovan citizens live and work. The document is expected to be initialed in November.
Specifically, an individual who worked for a period in the Republic of Moldova and subsequently moved to Ireland for employment will be able to combine their contribution periods from both countries to meet the requirements for retirement.
The agreement will cover not only old-age pensions but also disability pensions, benefits for workplace accidents or occupational diseases, and survivor pensions.
"I would like to reiterate that a social security agreement means that contribution or work periods completed in the Republic of Moldova and Ireland will be aggregated to determine eligibility for a pension," stated the Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Natalia Plugaru, during the Government meeting on October 21.
According to the Minister, approximately 30,000 Moldovan citizens live and work in Ireland. Many pay social security contributions in the country where they work, and the agreement aims to protect the rights they have accrued over the years.
On the same day, the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy endorsed the Government's decision.
The Republic of Moldova has already signed 23 social security agreements with other states, 19 of which are currently in effect. In recent years, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has concluded such agreements with Italy, Greece, Spain, Latvia, France, Switzerland, Canada, and Ukraine.
