John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. It is a lonely place to be, particularly for sole traders in difficult times. I am not sure whether other Deputies have shared my experience of having to avail of social protection. The business I was operating was one of many businesses that went to the wall during the economic downturn, when the bottom fell out of the economy. Unfortunately, I had to pull down the shutters on the business I operated. Like many others, I have first-hand experience of the challenges experienced by people when they are seeking badly needed supports. I know from my experience in 2010 that many self-employed people come up against many challenges, brick walls and barriers as they seek to provide for their families and keep a roof over their heads. While this legislation is positive, if I have any criticism it is that it has taken a long time to get to this stage. It has to be welcomed. While I welcome all Government moves to extend social welfare supports to the self-employed, I do so with the caveat that they are unable to access all social welfare supports even though they should be able to do so. This is a positive step forward, but there is much more work to be done.

See this speech in context