The Sinn Féin general election candidate for County Wexford has said that the self employed and people intending on starting up their own business in the future must be better protected. Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that it is an injustice that many self employed people who could no longer find work to carry on, found themselves not entitled to state benefits.
“People in this state are nearly twice as likely to set up their own business as their European counterparts,” Cllr Kelly said. “Even now we could see new entrepreneurs standing up and taking the risk, if we give them a chance. It is ridiculous that someone who was self employed and trying their best is penalised by the Irish Social Welfare system by often being denied access to benefits, and certainly being ran through more hoops than a PAYE worker. It makes no sense. How can we expect people to set up their own business if the government intends on treating them as criminals when and if something goes wrong?”
Cllr Kelly insisted changes had to be made to make self employment an attractive option. “First of all, self employed people should be given the option of paying PRSI at the same level as PAYE workers in order to receive the same entitlements in the event that they become unemployed. That is what Sinn Féin proposes and intends to see carried in the next Dail. It is also essential that businesses can access credit. I’m sure if you ask any self employed person, this has been a problem for them over the past two years. Sinn Féin would also introduce a cap on utility prices to reduce the cost of doing business for a minimum of three years.”
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