Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will deal with a matter regarding PRSI contributions in respect of a person (details supplied in Dublin 13; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23742/11]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will deal with a matter (details supplied) regarding self-employed people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23089/11]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 412: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the measure he will take to improve social welfare entitlements for the self-employed when their business fails; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24021/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 291, 320 and 412 together.

These questions address the issue of access to unemployment payments, such as Jobseekers Benefit, for self-employed individuals or those who were previously self-employed. Self-employed workers are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social welfare benefits, including jobseeker's benefit, pay Class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI Class A. (For employees earning less than €356 per week, the rate of employer's PRSI is 4.25%).

Any proposal to extend short term benefits such as jobseeker's benefit to the self-employed would have significant financial implications and would have to be considered in the context of a much more significant rise in the rate of contribution payable.

PRSI coverage is related to the risks associated with employment or self-employment, the annualised system of contributions for self-employed people and the practicalities of administering and controlling access to short-term payment for self-employed people. A system of separate arrangements for employed and self-employed workers within a social insurance context is common in other European social protection systems.

Self-employed workers may establish eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker's allowance. They can apply for the means-tested jobseeker's allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. In general, their means will take account of the level of earnings in the last twelve months in determining their expected income for the following year. In the current climate account is taken of the downward trend in the economy.