asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider continuing the PRSI exemption scheme until the end of May in view of the promising response to date and the number of people who sought eligibility unsuccessfully because of the closing date condition.
Written Answers - PRSI Exemption Scheme.
39.
The PRSI exemption scheme applied in respect of additional employees taken on between 23 October 1985 and 5 April 1986. The scheme was, therefore, open to employers' applications for a period in excess of five months. Much of the intended employment boost under a temporary scheme of this kind depends on its having a clearly recognised and limited period of availability.
While a significant increase in interest by employers is known to have occurred in the two weeks before the scheme finally closed on 5 April 1986, no precise information is as yet available on the total number of additional employees finally taken on under the scheme. In order to establish this, a survey of all employment exchanges-offices is at present being conducted by the Department of Social Welfare.
In order to accommodate applications from employers who were ready to take on additional employees before 31 March 1986 but unable to make the inquiries necessary to complete their application forms before that date, the original closing date for applications under the scheme was extended from 31 March to 5 April 1986.
In all these circumstances, I do not propose to extend the final closing date of 5 April 1986.