Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

While I recognise the contribution for the self-employed is much lower than for those in employment, there should be recognition that they are self-employed and are quite likely to be employers themselves through the nature of their business. A lower rate of around 8% should be brought in to allow them have all the benefits such as jobseeker’s benefit if they become unemployed through no fault of their own.

While people who ended up unemployed got jobseeker's allowance, this did not happen until after they had gone through a tortuous process. In some cases I have dealt with, people have had to wait for between a year and a year and a half to get their payments. The demands made when the Department placed the onus on them were difficult to achieve. The nub of the problem is that the contributory old age pension is the only thing self-employed people who made contributions but ended up unemployed through no fault of their own are entitled to. It is very difficult for people in their 30s to comprehend that they will have to wait until they are 67 or 68 to benefit from their PRSI contributions. We should give serious consideration to this proposal in recognition of the contribution of the self-employed and the fact that they are likely to be employers. It should be taken on board.

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