Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I congratulate Senator Butler on introducing this motion. It is a very important one and, as Senator Humphreys said, we need a debate on this issue. It is not that big of an issue but it is a very important one. We are having an outstanding debate here on it. During the crash a particular group of people, self-employed sole traders, were the hardest hit. They had no come-back and no protection. Many of them found they were not able to get money from anywhere. More than likely they had to pay the two weeks' statutory redundancy payments. The previous Government removed the statutory redundancy clawback for 70% of the two weeks that was allowed, which was introduced in good times but no allowance was made in bad times. Those self-employed sole traders could not liquidate and had no choice but to sell their house and pay the statutory redundancy payments to their employees. The vast majority of them ended up with nothing for themselves and they could not get anything from the State.

I thank the Minister for coming into the House I welcome Senator Bulter's proposal. This is a very important issue. There is no protection in the system for the group of people to whom I have referred. It is important that people can set up a business as a sole trader. They do not have the same protection as people who have a company. There are certain conditions laid down in company law and so on which probably makes it more difficult for a person to set up a business than to set up as a sole trader. This self-employed stamp is a very important issue. I commend Senator Butler on bringing forward this proposal. As Senator Reilly said, the self-employed create jobs and provide employment. As this has all been said earlier, I will conclude on that note.