Vol. 449 No. 2
60 Mr. Harte asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the meeting his predecessor had with Inishowen Women of the Sea in County Donegal in August 1994; the progress, if any, made on the proposals made by that organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3459/95]
I understand that my predecessor received a delegation representing the organisation — Inishowen Women of the Sea — on 26 August 1994 in connection with the position of share fishermen in relation to insurability and entitlements to benefits under the Social Welfare Acts.
As the Deputy is aware the legislation concerning share fishermen, who work under a contract for service, was ruled to be ultra vires under a High Court judgment in February 1992 which resulted in their being considered as self-employed persons. A special scheme for share fishermen engaged under contract for service was introduced in the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1993 which allowed those persons to join an optional social insurance scheme. The new scheme enabled them to top up self-employed contributions and provided entitlement to treatment benefits and limited disability and unemployment benefit.
Optional contributions became payable from the beginning of the 1993-94 tax year which governed short term benefit entitlements from January 1995. The total number of approved contributors to the scheme is approximately 200.
The details of the scheme were explained at the meeting with the Inishowen Women of the Sea. It was also explained that the ordinary rate contributions paid immediately before 14 February 1992, the date of the judgment, would be reckoned for such claims made in the period to December 1994.
Submissions were made by the delegation which the Minister undertook to note in connection with an ongoing monitoring of the new arrangements. I propose to have a full review of this issue at an early date.
