Ms Bríd O'Brien:

On the question around broadening the tax base, while we do need to broaden it we need to do so in a way that is equitable. There are things not taxed here that are taxed in other countries, in respect of which considerable amounts of money are raised. We need to address that issue. I share the concern that there is a danger this will be done in a regressive manner.

On self-employment and unemployment, one of the striking features of the current crisis is the number of self-employed people who are now unemployed. The presumption in the public arena was that because self-employed people were not entitled to jobseeker's benefit, they had no entitlement at all. Many of those people would in fact have an entitlement to jobseeker's allowance. However, as is often the case in respect of those people moving from jobseeker's benefit to jobseeker's allowance they may not meet the means test criteria, although some do. There has been much misinformation in this area, including from front line staff in the Department of Social Protection, with people being told to de-register their company despite that on the Department's website it is stated in big bold letters that there is no requirement to do so. It highlights the lack of consistency across the system that people who do have an entitlement and meet the criteria of the means test are being misinformed and misled.