Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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70. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects to be in a position to assist, by way of unemployment assistance and jobseeker's allowance, those persons who were previously self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5291/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Self-employed persons 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) as well as maternity benefit, adoptive benefit and guardians payment (contributory).

Self-employed workers may also access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance.

It may be noted that almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed means tested jobseeker’s allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. I am therefore satisfied that the self-employed have adequate access to income support in the event of business failure.