19 Samh 2013, 10:42
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection will tomorrow hear from Officials from the Department of Social Protection on the entitlement of self-employed people to social protection payments.
19 November 2013
Committee Chair Joanna Tuffy TD says: “A long-standing concern of Committee Members, tomorrow we will have an opportunity to assess how the jobless self-employed access social protection payments in particular.
“At a Committee meeting last year, a sample group of self-employed argued forcefully 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. However, it was also pointed out by Department Officials 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.
“The meeting tomorrow will assist the Committee in assessing any flaws that may exist in the current system for a cohort of people who have endured considerable economic hardship since 2008. The Committee will be also keen to raise with Officials the challenges many clients have with the information available on claiming social welfare, and the perception that approaches to assessing entitlements differ at local Social Protection offices across the country.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 20 November at 1pm in Committee Room 3, Leinster House 2000. Committee proceedings can be followed here.
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputy Joanna Tuffy - Chair
Deputies James Bannon, Ray Butler, Joan Collins, Clare Daly, Brendan Griffin , Jim Daly, Derek Keating, Charlie McConalogue, Nicky McFadden, Jonathan O’Brien, Willie O’Dea, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Brendan Ryan
Senators Terry Brennan, Jim D'Arcy, Marie Moloney, Mary Moran, Marie-Louise O’Donnell, Averil Power