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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: I welcome Ms Patricia Murphy, assistant secretary at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, and her colleagues Mr. Seán Reilly, Mr. Dermot Sheridan, Mr. Jim Lynch and Mr. Christopher McCamley. I will invite our guests to make their presentation to the committee and then members will have an opportunity to ask questions. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: I am sure there will be a number of questions. I thank Ms Murphy for her opening statement. I have a general question before going to members. There is a process and Ms Murphy mentioned that social welfare inspectors inspect a wide range of businesses, with inspections undertaken jointly with the Revenue Commissioners. She indicated that officials investigate specific cases referred to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: I do not want to get into a debate. I am being specific and I am trying to find out how many inspections were carried. If the witness does not have the number, she can forward it to the committee. How many uncovered bogus self-employment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: I am critical of that because this matter has been around from the formation of the Thirty-second Dáil. If inspections are done, whether targeted or random - both must be done to keep people honest - I am surprised that the witness can tell the amount of money saved but not the number of bogus self-employment contracts. The data need to be more robust.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: I note to colleagues that while the Department may have a view on the issues they raise, other witnesses will certainly have a view. I ask members to bear in mind that other relevant issues will come before us as we proceed. The Department may have some view on some of the issues, but not all of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Thank you, Senator.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Good.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Either the Senator has brief questions or I will come back to her.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Thank you, Senator. I call Deputy Paul Murphy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Before I call Ms Murphy to reply, a number of specific questions were asked and she might indicate if she does not have specific answers today. She can correspond with the committee on them. This work will be continuing. Some of those questions were detailed. If she does not have the numerical answers, that is not a problem. She can identify the numbers and submit them to the committee....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: The awareness campaign, where 10,000 people went to the website and then some of those engaged further, should set off alarm bells because people are not prepared to report their own situation for fear of losing their employment or work. That should be heard loud and clear. The officials indicated the number of inspections that were carried out and their financial yield. There are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: That is different. That is a person making a complaint. I am trying to make a distinction between following a complaint made by an individual and policing the system generally where no complaints are made but the Department is monitoring sector by sector, geographically and so on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: How does the Department determine which of these it does alone and which are done with Revenue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Ms Murphy has mentioned a number of times that the prevalence of self-employment is diminishing, but that is not what we are investigating. We are investigating bogus self-employment. We need to be very clear about this and not repeat the same line over and over again that the prevalence of self-employment is diminishing. It is diminishing because total employment is increasing. Ms Murphy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Will Ms Murphy give us a note on the matter?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: Deputy Brady asked several questions about the inspections. Can Ms Murphy please send the information to the committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: This is the start of a process. We will bring in other witnesses with information. It is an issue of great concern because as we look to the future, the role of an employee, the protections and what an employee might expect from an employer, especially when auto enrolment pensions are rolled out, will vary. It is quite important that those lines are very clear and workers are appropriately...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Urban Renewal Schemes (8 Nov 2018)

John Curran: 13. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports he will make available to other disadvantaged communities in the Dublin area in view of the €5.5 million investment in Dublin’s north inner city as announced by him in October 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46000/18]

Apprenticeships: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2018)

John Curran: This motion should not be confrontational. It should be collaborative and we should work together on it. Apprenticeship training is an under-utilised and under-developed resource. Deputy Byrne referred to the fact that only 2% of school leavers aspire to apprenticeship training. Worse, the number of women in apprenticeship training is very low. That is traditionally because...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Nov 2018)

John Curran: A total of 25 children in the country suffer with spinal muscular atrophy. Sam and Glen both live in my area. It is a degenerative condition. There is hope for them and there is treatment called Spinraza. I have raised the question in the House before and I have been told that following the evaluation process it has not been approved. If it has not been approved but is available in...