Mary Moran (Labour)
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We needed to leave the meeting to vote. I apologise for having missed some of Mr. McArdle's presentation. Like my colleague, I read it in the Seanad Chamber. We are all singing from the same hymn sheet and well aware of the issues. I am married to a self-employed man. The mention of being unable to take a holiday was particularly poignant. The employees are paid and well looked after in terms of PRSI, etc., but the self-employed are caught in a loop and nothing can be done for them.

There has been plenty of talk, but we need to progress matters. Perhaps our guests have already offered their opinions, but how best can we support them further? In the past year, I have been inundated by self-employed people attending my office. Being expected to pay rates is a big deal for someone who has never sought anything from or been beholden to the State. As a PRSI and PAYE employee, I never needed to deal with such considerations. Everything was deducted from my final cheque. It is shocking that self-employed people are still expected to pay their bills even when they are receiving no money. I would value our guests' opinions on how we can best help them.