Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's examples relates to an individual who worked 19.5 hours per week on Tús from October 2012 to October 2013. I understand he has a spouse and partner and for most of the year three qualifying children but subsequently two qualifying children. I presume one child reached the age of 18 and became an adult. He would have been paid a standard social welfare allowance of €422.20 per week consisting of a jobseeker's allowance of €188.00, a qualified adult payment of €124.80 and €89.40 in respect of three qualifying dependent children. That is without considering that the individual would have probably been entitled to a fuel allowance of €20 a week for six months of the year, back to school clothing and footwear allowances for the children going back to school and in addition a medical card. The individual had €422.20 a week in total. As Deputy Halligan correctly said, PRSI is chargeable from €352 per week. Employees who are liable for class A PRSI contributions who have an income of up to €352 per week do not pay anything. The rate of PRSI paid on amounts earned over €352 per week is 4%. It is not income tax; it is a social insurance contribution. As part of our fundamental social insurance system, that applies to people in private and public occupations around the country. It is what people in any job contribute. In return, the participants who pay it acquire very valuable social welfare and pension rights. I cannot accept Deputy Halligan's contention that this individual was not being paid significant amounts of money in terms of his family circumstances. It is a benefit for such people to participate in a Tús scheme, which are hugely popular around the country. I was in Waterford recently where people wanted more Tús places.

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