PPS Numbers


The Personal Public Service number (PPS No.) is a unique reference number to help people to access benefits and information from public service agencies quicker and easier. This includes services such as Social Welfare, Revenue, Public Healthcare and Education. It should be noted that the PPS number in itself does not convey any rights to residency, employment or benefits in Ireland where other conditions apply.

Statistics on the numbers of PPS numbers issued by nationality are available on the website of this page of the website of the Department of Social Protection.

Some PPS numbers may no longer be in use. There is no up-to-date information on the numbers which are active.


Report on PPSN allocations and Employment

The Central Statistics Office publishes statistics detailing yearly employment and social welfare employment of foreign nationals.

The latest report - Foreign Nationals: PPSN Allocations, Employment and Social Welfare Activity 2010-2011 - was published on 1st March 2013. This publication gives 3 pages of analysis, followed by several pages of tables. These list
    • figures and percentages on employment and social welfare activity for migrants aged 15 and over who were allocated PPS Numbers between 2006 and 2011;
    • the age breakdown, from 0 to 65+, of migrants allocated PPS Numbers by broad nationality group;
    • the top 27 countries for PPS Number allocation in 2011 and gives the figures for those 27 countries for the years 2005-2011.

A previous report was published on 27 May 2011 - "Foreign Nationals: PPSN Allocations, Employment and Social Welfare Activity 2009". This gives the same type of detail regarding foreign nationals issued with PPS numbers between 2004 and 2009.







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