Social Protection Committee discusses access to welfare of self-employed

3 October 2012

The Committee then heard from the Self Employed Alliance Dundalk, an activist group of self-employed citizens campaigning for the same access to unemployment assistance as PAYE workers. 

Committee Chair Joanna Tuffy TD says: “Today we had the opportunity to address a long-standing concern of Committee Members, which are the difficulties encountered by the jobless self-employed in accessing social protection.  The Committee is committed to charting a pathway that addresses the flaws in the system. 

“The Dundalk group made a forthright case that company owners, who made huge sacrifices in building up their businesses, should get the same entitlements to social welfare as their employees on becoming unemployed. This was a valuable opportunity for the Committee to hear from a sample of self-employed citizens who have endured considerable hardship in the economic downturn. The group expressed concern at the lack of clarity and information on claiming social welfare, believing that approaches differed at local social protection offices across the country to assessing entitlements.

“One of the points highlighted by the Department Officials was that, at present, the self-employed pay PRSI at a rate of 4 percent to cover entitlement to the state pension, when contributions over 15 percent would be required to self-finance  jobseekers’ and other benefits. Citing the recently published Review of the Social Insurance Fund 2010, they said that the self–employed achieve better value for money from the Fund compared to the employed.

“The Committee is at one in seeking to support the self-employed in access to an equitable share of entitlements. It will forward a presentation from the Dundalk group to the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton TD and will inform the Dundalk group on the reply it receives.”

For further information please contact:   
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353  87 694 9926

Committee Membership
Deputies:     
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Ray Butler, Fine Gael
Áine Collins, Fine Gael
Joan Collins, People Before Profit
Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Independent
Simon Harris, Fine Gael
Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil
Nicky McFadden, Fine Gael
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Fine Gael
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party (Vice Chair)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Willie O’Dea, Fianna Fáil
Brendan Ryan, Labour Party
Joanna Tuffy, Labour Party (Chair)

Senators:     
Jim D’Arcy     
Fidelma Healy Eames     
Marie Moloney     
Marie Louise O’Donnell     
Averil Power     
Diarmuid Wilson