Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are not still considering the 23 submissions. They have been considered. My real concern is that there were only 23 in The report is being considered by me and the Minister for Finance. I expect to be able to publish it in the next couple of weeks with a view to determining actions we will take at the beginning of next year to address the issue.

My concerns are twofold. It is not my job to collect social insurance contributions but it is my job to spend the money from those contributions.

If I had what we all perceive to be the shortfall of employers' PRSI to spend, we could have a really different conversation in this House on how to spend it. Equally important to me are employment rights, which is my responsibility for those people who find themselves in positions where they are forced into self-employment, as opposed to real employment. I am determined to fix that early next year. If there is a bonus of getting a couple of million euro or a couple of hundred million euro extra in social insurance contributions, I will enjoy having that conversation at the committee on how to spend it.

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