Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 December 2021

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

9:30 am

Mr. John McKeon:

The Deputy should probably take that up again with Revenue. In terms of social insurance classification, we treat every case on its own merits. We apply criteria agreed by the trade unions and the employers as part of the code of conduct for determination of employment or self-employment, in line with the partnership agreements in the early 2000s. They are the five factors I spoke about. Each case is determined based on those factors and each individual gets an individual assessment based on those factors. That is our practice.