Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not have the invalidity pension figure off the top of my head, but if I remember correctly, in the budget negotiations, we were estimating that it could cost as much as €80 million in a full year. I do not believe that is going to be the case but I respect the fact that my officials tend to be cautious when it comes to these calculations. Often, they perhaps estimate that things cost more than they will. They may turn out to be right on this occasion but I have a small bet with one of my officials on that. I might not be able to claim it until Christmas next year.

The question of jobseeker's benefit is under examination. What I have in mind is something very similar to the Deputy's own proposals, which is something voluntary through volunteering to pay a higher rate of PRSI in return for some form of jobseeker's benefit. For lots of reasons, including administrative reasons, the earliest we could introduce that would be towards the end of next year. However, it is better late than never.

I believe my ideas are very real because I am proposing that we do not fully abolish the USC and that we merge it with PRSI into a new social insurance payment. In return for that, we will give people real benefits. People resent the USC because they associate it with the recession and austerity. The know that they do not get any defined benefits from it in return. Social insurance is something that is very different. It is where people pay into the system and in return for paying into the system, they receive benefits. That is something I strongly support.

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