Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I wish to draw to the Minister's attention a category of persons who I am sure are numerous all over the country, former employees of the construction sector, many of whom, in order to secure employment in that sector, were obliged to operate as self-employed C2 sub-contractors. They are in a very difficult situation and it is related to the point made by Deputy Morgan in respect of entitlement to job-seeker's benefit or job-seeker's allowance. The job-seeker's allowance is a means tested payment and job-seeker's benefit is an entitlement arising from the class of PRSI contributions paid as an employee of another company. I would contend there is a category of persons who were de facto employees in the construction sector but by virtue of the manner in which the system was tilted in favour, perhaps, of the large construction companies which obliged people to operate as self-employed sub-contractors and who therefore could only pay class S contributions, are now finding they have no entitlement to job-seeker's benefit. Many of these people are young people with dependent children and mortgages and they now find themselves in very difficult circumstances.

I ask the Minister to be conscious of the very difficult financial situation of that category of person. Unlike other employees who have lost their jobs they do not have an entitlement to 15 months of job-seeker's benefit but they have paid their contributions as self-employed people for long periods. They are people who are finding the current situation extremely difficult. There are no alternative employment opportunities for them. Many of them were enticed into the construction industry straight out of school and are largely unskilled or semi-skilled and the system is treating them extremely harshly now.

It might be argued that they should have made provision in good times but the system forced them to become self-employed or unemployed at the time and they fell into a category which is now cast on the scrap heap and is also excluded from fair treatment under the social welfare code as it is currently constructed. There are thousands of such people throughout the country and the Department should look at that category of self-employed persons with regard to their entitlements arising from their insurance record and perhaps give them the opportunity to pay arrears of contributions in order to qualify for an entitlement now.

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