Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to talk about social protection for the self-employed. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection carried out a survey of 20,000 self-employed people last year. In that survey, 76% of self-employed people said they were in favour of a new stamp. The majority wanted it to be voluntary. I would prefer if it was mandatory but I am happy to get it one way or another.

I have fought for the last six or seven years to get this stamp in place. Through the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, we have the Mangan report. The report is ready to go. A self-employed person pays 4% in PRSI at the moment. The Mangan report says that it would have to increase to 5.5% for the new stamp but it would provide for sick pay and disability pay for self-employed people for the first time. That is very important.