Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

If we want to build a modern welfare state for the 21st century, there are things we must take into account. People who are leaving school today or leaving college this year or next year will spend some of their time as employees and some of their time as contractors or self-employed. In some cases they will set up companies and become directors. Our welfare system needs to make provision in the future for all those people.

Obviously, people need to contribute so that the system is self-funding. This year, there is a deficit in the social insurance fund of the order of €1.9 million, that is, the contributions have been less than what is being paid out because of the high level of unemployment.

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