Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

This time last year we were in the run-up to voting day of the general election. One of the most memorable features of the election campaign for Members on all sides and one of the saddest things was the number of people in construction who were involved in good firms which gave good employment and who found that everything had disappeared. Many of these are the people to which Senator Landy has referred. Senator Landy also raised the possibility that people might be allowed to make a voluntary contribution, amounting to the current total of the employer and employee's contributions. That merits examination because the distress level of self-employed people can be very high. Also, many of these people ran good businesses and worked hard, particularly those with a construction background, during the boom. It is important we help them as much as possible to get back on their feet. I will return to the Senator with information when I have the actuarial evaluation and the report of the advisory group. I am grateful the Senator has acknowledged that in the current climate there are cost issues of which I must take account.