Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost

Prior to January 1, 1999, we maintained a defined benefit pension plan for which most of our employees were eligible (the "Qualified Pension Plan"). We elected to freeze benefits under the Qualified Pension Plan as of December 31, 1998.

In 1994, we adopted a non-qualified, unfunded, supplemental pension plan (the "Restoration Pension Plan") covering certain employees, which provides for incremental pension payments so that total pension payments equal those amounts that would have been payable from our Qualified Pension Plan were it not for limitations imposed by income tax regulation. The Restoration Pension Plan was intended to provide benefits equivalent to our Qualified Pension Plan as if such plan had not been frozen. We elected to freeze benefits under the Restoration Pension Plan as of April 1, 2014.

Net pension cost for both plans included the following components:



	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
In thousands	2019			2018			2019			2018
Interest cost	$	1,813		$	1,685		$	5,439		$	5,055
Expected return on plan assets	(1,111		)	(1,524		)	(3,333		)	(4,571		)
Recognized actuarial loss	732			689			2,197			2,068
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,434		$	850		$	4,303		$	2,552

We made $2.2 million minimum contribution to our Qualified Pension Plan in 2019.

We are not required to make, and do not intend to make, any contributions to our Restoration Pension Plan other than to the extent needed to cover benefit payments. We made benefit payments under this supplemental plan of $0.4 million and $1.3 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.