Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

This is another area about which I asked the Minister to outline his plans for reform. He recognises, as does everybody else, that there is a significant problem and yet is doing nothing about reforming the system. There is dispute about figures. The Minister should have figures to give us a better picture of the situation. The bottom line is that self-employed people get a very poor deal from the welfare system. I am sure the Minister is aware, as are the rest of us, of many situations where people had no choice but to be self-employed over recent years because that has been the tendency in the employment market.

Does the Minister accept that there are several different categories of people who had no choice but to be self-employed because of the abuse of the system which he was prepared to stand by over recent years? People such as lorry drivers, for example, were classed as self-employed. People who were small contractors, such as plasterers and carpenters, who previously worked for someone were forced to become self-employed.

Like all of us, I am sure the Minister is aware that a great number of people only discovered they were not entitled to any assistance when they found themselves unemployed. Such people are not entitled to anything if a partner has any kind of income. Does the Minister have any plans to reform the welfare system for people who find themselves unemployed, having been self-employed?

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