David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I applaud the Minister, who also said this was a question of reducing the deficit from €1 billion to €700 million because of pensions and all the rest of it. However, I am sure the Minister would probably tacitly agree with me that if the Government was serious about pensions, it should not have raided the pension fund to pay off the international financial institutions, the bankers, the bondholders and all these sorts of people. That was a disastrous mistake.

I am very glad that Senator Mooney mentioned the gross unfairness on self-employed people and people who create employment in small businesses. They are required to pay PRSI for their employees, but if their business goes bust, they have absolutely nothing except, perhaps, the €240,000 they had in the bank. If we want the economy to recover, we need to look after people who have the get up and go to start a business and employ other people, and we should not punish them for it. I know they do not for the most part at the moment make PRSI contributions, but they should be required to do so even if it is only a small amount that can be allowed to build up gradually. I certainly support Senator Mooney's amendments.