Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Insurance Contributions.

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

Self-employed persons are compulsorily insurable under the Social Welfare Acts since 1988. They are eligible for the following social welfare benefits: widow's-widower's contributory pension, orphan's contributory pension and old age contributory pension. Contributions payable by self-employed persons class S do not reckon for any short-term benefits under the Social Welfare Acts nor do they reckon for invalidity pension.

The social insurance contributions payable by self-employed persons do not include any element in respect of short-term benefits or invalidity pension. An extension in the range of benefits payable to self-employed persons would involve, as a consequence, an appreciable increase in the rate of contributions payable.

The issue of extending cover for invalidity pension was considered in 1993 by the then National Pensions Board which did not recommend extension of invalidity cover to the self-employed at that time. My Department has recently met with representative groups of certain self-employed persons to consider their submissions in this regard. Any such proposal would have financial implications for both the persons concerned and the social insurance fund.