24.1. An employee is entitled to be credited with the years and parts of a year of service during which he was a member of the staff of a minister or of a person referred to in section 124.1 of the Act respecting the National Assembly (chapter A-23.1), provided he has not otherwise been credited with such years and parts of a year or provided his contributions in respect of them have not been refunded to him.
To have all or part of such service credited, the employee must apply to the Commission within 60 months after the date on which he ceased to be such a member of staff, and must pay to the Commission an amount equal to the contribution he would have been required to pay if he had been a member of this plan. The amount bears interest, compounded annually, at the rates determined for each period pursuant to the Act respecting the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan (chapter R-10). The interest accrues from the midpoint of each year to the date on which the redemption proposal is made by the Commission. Where the employee has only part of his service credited, the most recent service is credited first.
The amount established pursuant to the second paragraph is payable in a lump sum or by instalments spread over the period and payable at the times determined by the Commission. If it is paid by instalments, it bears interest, compounded annually, at the rate in force under the Act respecting the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan on the date on which the application is received, computed from the date on which the redemption proposal expires.