Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

I will conclude. For small businesses as a whole this Bill is welcome and every job that can be created or retained is welcome. I wish to refer to the position of individuals, particularly in regard to their social welfare contributions, who might want to take up initiatives under the provisions of this Bill. We are all aware of the extremely difficult position in which self-employed have found themselves on applying for social welfare entitlements when their businesses have gone bust. In many cases they find they are not entitled to any payments possibly because other family members are working. The self-employed individuals are not entitled to any payments and their means are assessed on the basis of the income of other family members. That must be a change in that respect. The type of social welfare contribution must be changed to ensure self-employed individuals are encouraged to take up initiatives such as this one in the knowledge that if they do not work out that at least they have the safety net of social welfare benefits.

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