Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 16 Oct 1996

Vol. 470 No. 2

Written Answers. - EU Equal Treatment Directive.

Patrick J. Morley

Ceist:

71 Mr. Morley asked the Minister for Social Welfare the action, if any, which has been taken in the areas within his remit to implement EU Directive 86/613/EEC on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in self-employment, including agricultural work and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood. [18567/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

One of the provisions of the EU Directive, 86/613/EEC, refers to the question of benefit entitlements of spouses who participate in the family business without being employees or partners. It requires that such spouses who are not protected under self-employed persons social security shall be enabled to join a contributory social security scheme voluntarily. Under the Social Welfare Acts, such spouses have certain benefit entitlements under the contributions, class S, payable by their spouses.

The directive also required member states to examine whether and under what conditions female self-employed workers and the wives of self-employed workers should be entitled to benefit during interruption in their occupational activity owing to pregnancy or motherhood. The matter was examined in my Department as required but a decision was deferred pending a review of the directive at the European Commission. The position will be considered further in the light of this review.