Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a far cry from the claim about the best small country in the world in which to do business.

There is another point relating to women entrepreneurs. We are trying to encourage as many women as possible in this regard. If we got as many women to start up businesses every month as the number of men, we would have 500 extra jobs per month. Women entrepreneurs are discriminated against. A woman entrepreneur must have 52 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the relevant year as opposed to a minimum of 39 weeks for an employee. As a result, it is far more difficult for women who work for themselves to meet the criteria, as set out, for maternity benefit. Additionally, self-employed women entrepreneurs must apply for maternity benefit 12 weeks before the intended start date while employees only have to give six weeks' notice.