Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I apologise for my having had to leave to attend a vote in the Seanad. However, I brought the presentation with me and was reading it when voting.

We are all singing from the same hymn sheet. Since I became elected, I have raised the problems of the self-employed on numerous occasions in the Seanad; this is on public record. Every time there was a debate on social welfare in the Seanad, I raised the problem of the self-employed. At every meeting of this committee since I became a member two months ago, I have raised the issue, and I will continue to do so. We await the advisory committee's report and I hope it will contain recommendations that suit the self-employed.

While we are always worrying about the big multinational companies and saving 400 jobs here and 300 there, we must realise that if we concentrated on retaining one job here and two or three there, the combined number would be considerable. The self-employed, while generating an income for their families and not drawing on the Exchequer, help their few employees. It is vital, therefore, that we help the self-employed. I will continue to fight their case until we achieve at least some of their objectives.