Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Moloney made a very good point. A person who owns a small business and who is experiencing a rough time will, with the best will in the world, drop certain things. Everyone agrees in principle that there should be jobseeker's benefit for the self-employed. That is a given. The question that arises, therefore, is how to design it in such a way that will allow everyone to buy in. It would be a terrible shame if we could not find a way for everyone to move forward. I accept that there may be a need to reconsider the position in respect of a number of areas. Self-employed people become so battered down from trying to obtain social welfare payments, that this, in itself, almost becomes a business for them. Some of them lose their entrepreneurial flair as a result. They must be facilitated in the context of obtaining something in the first couple of months of unemployment. Many of those to whom I refer will return to self-employment when they get their next venture off the ground.

I apologies for interrupting Mr. Fielding. Everyone present is on the same page but the question which arises relates to the method we might use in order to encourage people to come on board.