Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 1 December 2022

Public Accounts Committee

2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection - Social Insurance Fund 2021
Chapter 10: Regularity of social welfare payments
Chapter 11: The recovery of benefit and assistance payments following compensation awards
Chapter 14: Classification of workers for PRSI purposes

9:30 am

Mr. John McKeon:

That is the position. We do not use test cases for the purpose of the wholesale classification of workers in a particular sector, namely, saying that all workers are one way because one worker is. We examine each case on an individual basis and on its own merits. However, we have never ruled out treating every worker in a firm the same if they and their employer say they are prepared to accept that, for example, Ms Leonard and Mr. Lawler accepting the same treatment as me once I am assessed. We have not ruled it out, but we have never done it.