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

I will respond to the two questions were asked. I assure Deputy Brady that the activation offering available to jobseekers who were self-employed is exactly the same as what is on offer to those who were employed. I also assure him that the Department follows up overpayments and underpayments in the exact same vigorous manner. He would probably use different language. When the Department is owed money that it could spend on people who need our support, as he rightly mentioned, it is taken seriously.

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I do not know why it has taken so long to reach this point. I was self-employed for many years. Everyone present has been self-employed. Like Deputy Brady, I know exactly what it feels like to see one's business go wallop. It happened to me in 2009. Unfortunately, I was unable to get help from the Department of Social Protection even though I was experiencing significant difficulty. This is an important stage in our political careers because we are able to stand here tonight and say that this milestone has been accomplished. I hope it will be effective when, God forbid, the next recession comes.

They come and they go. The next time anything happens in this country, our self-employed people will be supported in exactly the same way as employees are if misfortune comes to their door.

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