Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy O'Dea read the report, he will be aware that the group carried out a specific examination. After I became Minister, I changed the method of assessment which is carried out by social welfare assistants on the self-employed accessing jobseeker's allowance. For instance, if there is a catastrophic fall or collapse in a person's business, under the previous Government of which Deputy O'Dea was a member the assessment was based on earlier years' income statements when the business might have been fine. For both those involved in farming and fishing and in self-employment, the way the assessment is done now is that if there has been a catastrophic fall, the person can put his or her current financial position on the table to be examined by the Department. As the report shows, in fact, 75% of those so assessed accessed jobseeker's allowance. Of course, the reasons for not accessing jobseeker's allowance, because it is means tested, would include that the person's spouse or partner might well be working while the applicant has lost employment.

See this speech in context