Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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65. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the measures that his Department will take in the future to further support self-employed persons following the changes announced in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2769/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to encouraging self-employment and entrepreneurship. This includes enhancing the position of the self-employed through a supportive tax regime, improving the level of PRSI based benefits available to self-employed workers and providing a better safety net for low income self-employed farmers.

As part of the Government’s commitment to rural Ireland, I am announce the total reversal of cuts to the means test for the Farm Assist scheme, a programme which helps over 7,800 self-employed farm families. At a time of falling farm incomes, it’s essential that we strengthen the safety net for farmers who are on the margin. The introduction of additional income disregards for farmers with children further ensures that farm families with children will benefit.

Also, in recognition of the crucial work undertaken in rural communities by the Rural Social Scheme, an additional 500 places will be made available to low-income farmers on the scheme this year. This will bring the total number of places on the scheme up from 2,600 to 3,100 in 2017.

Improving the PRSI system has been one of my key priorities since becoming Minister in this Department. On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce important measures which will directly benefit the self-employed.

From March 2017, the self-employed will have access to the treatment benefit scheme which includes free eye and dental examinations, and contributions towards the cost of hearings aids. Treatment benefit entitlements will also be extended from October 2017 so as to provide further dental and optical benefits. This improvement will benefit both the self-employed and employees.

Even more significantly, self-employed contributors will be eligible for the Invalidity Pension from December 2017. For the first time, this will give the self-employed access to the safety-net of State income supports if they become permanently incapable of work as a result of an illness or disability without having to go through a means test. This is a real advance in the level of cover available to the self-employed.

I plan to continue extending cover for the self-employed to other benefits on a phased basis in future Budgets. In 2017, my Department will examine the extension of social insurance to cover new risks and contingencies, including developing proposals on a form of jobseeker’s benefit where a person's business fails or they can no longer continue working in their profession or trade.

I look forward to making further improvements for the self-employed in future Budgets.