James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for her patience. Throughout Ireland but particularly in the midlands, self-employed people are suffering because before their businesses went into liquidation or folded up etc, they were on the breadline themselves. They actually were working to pay their staff. While that was the position, this does not appear to have been realised by officials within the Department. These people were prepared to take risks and to invest in their communities. There was a great furore about all the grants and so on that were available through the enterprise boards etc. and those people gave up good jobs and went into business on their own, having probably bought expensive equipment, machinery and so on. However, following the downturn in the economy, the whole thing collapsed. In her presentation, Ms Kennedy stated:

However, self-employed workers may establish eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance. [That is okay.] They can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases.

The major problem I have encountered is those people have assets but cannot sell them. Although those assets are at scrap value, when officials from the Department of Social Protection value those assets, those involved are perceived as being wealthy people. In fact, however, they cannot sell the assets because no one wants to establish a business in the same line. The alternative is to bring them elsewhere and sell them at a huge loss, after which they will have debts with the bank and so on.

This matter should be considered seriously. I know people who have assets in their yards that are taken into consideration and thereby are debarring them from a social welfare jobseeker's allowance. This matter must be addressed and ways must be explored in which to help those people. I do not believe it to be beyond the bounds of the Department to devise a system that is fair. All people seek is such a system because as Deputy Butler noted, I know people who committed suicide when their small businesses folded. I have attended funerals of people and this is not what members want. These people are desperate, are to be found throughout the country and a system must be devised that is fair to them. It is possible to have assets and to be starving at the same time because one cannot sell the assets of a business that has folded in the present climate and nor can people use their assets for productive purposes. The human element in this regard must be considered and soon.