Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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1128. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the qualifying PRSI criteria for a self-employed person to qualify for jobseeker's benefit in the fourth quarter of 2019 as announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45782/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As part of the Programme for Government’s commitment to introduce a pay-related social insurance (PRSI) scheme for the self-employed, I recently announced a new benefit scheme for the self-employed who become unemployed to be introduced in Q4 2019. This follows on from the extension of treatment benefit and invalidity pension to self-employed workers in Budget 2017.

This measure is part of the Government’s stated aim of creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurship, including providing an income safety net to employees and the self-employed alike. The specific details of the scheme, including the PRSI conditionality are currently being developed as part of the legislative drafting process.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy at this time.