Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The intention behind the dividend is to encourage people to go back to work. When they go back to work, other opportunities arise from networking, promotion and overtime. I always encourage people to go back to work.

Deputy Denis Naughten raised various issues about post offices. I would like to see further services being given to the post office system. Mr. Bobby Kerr will come forward with good suggestions, but one of the downsides, although it is a pleasant unintentional consequence, is that the number of people going back to work means that payments to postmasters will reduce over time because postmasters are paid according to the number of transactions. We must be conscious of this.

The Deputy also mentioned community welfare officers and the closing of clinics. I will be happy to discuss that issue with him at a later stage. My information is that in the areas in which offices were closed the level of usage was low. Community welfare officers are available on the telephone and will call to people on appointment, especially in rural areas. The Deputy referred to the lack of staff in Longford. We must best utilise the staff we have and I will be quite happy to discuss the issue with him later. Community welfare officers are a resource and we must maximise their use. We have facilitated a telephone or call-out service where clinics close locally.

A number of Deputies referred to appeals. Deputy Willie O'Dea published a Private Members' Bill dealing with the issue. We have reduced considerably the length of time involved. One of the points that prolongs the appeal mechanisms is that at every stage the applicant is entitled to provide additional information. I would not like to change the system because the applicant should be entitled to do so at every stage. Our colleagues overseas do not allow this facility and I would hate to go down that route. We must continuously improve the length of time it takes to complete appeals.

Many Deputies referred to small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs. Deputy Mattie McGrath referred to the gaining of social welfare allowances should a company go bankrupt. In principle, I have no problem with entrepreneurs or the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises being able to draw down unemployment benefit, but they must contribute at the same rate as everyone else. They contribute at a lower rate of PRSI and it cannot be done on a voluntary basis because it would have to be universal. Further studies must be carried out.

Deputies Peadar Tóibín and Sean Crowe referred to low pay and zero hour contracts. While the Bill does not deal specifically with that topic, the Low Pay Commission has been set up and will report very quickly to the Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash. It is expected that we will receive the first report early in the summer. It is much better that it is focused. The Labour Party and Fine Gael restored the €1 reduction Fianna Fáil had taken off the minimum wage. I am proud that the Labour Party was able to do this and influence it at an early stage in the life of the Government. There is a need to increase the minimum wage and the Low Pay Commission will probably make similar findings.

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