COLM
BROPHY TD Newsletter PRSI REFORMS BENEFIT SELF-EMPLOYED AND MAKE IT EASIER TO TAKE A CAREER BREAK WITHOUT LOSING YOUR STATE PENSION The Government has reformed the PRSI system to make it easier to take a career break without losing your State pension entitlements. The reforms also benefit selfemployed people, those who move abroad temporarily, and people who take early retirement. The reforms make it easier for people to make voluntary contributions under the PRSI system. They are designed to ensure that more people who take career breaks, early retirement, move abroad temporarily, or experience a bad year in self-employment can protect or improve their right to a contributory State pension, and a pension for their spouse or child’s guardian should they die prematurely. The self-employed will also 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 to provide further dental and optical benefits both for employees and the self-employed. Even more significantly, selfemployed contributors will be eligible for the Invalidity Pension from December 2017. For the first time, this will give the selfemployed 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.
Colm Brophy T.D. speaking recently to the National Media.
Unemployment in Ireland currently stands at 6%
50,000 Apprenticeships and traineeships by 2020 under new Government plan The Government will expand apprenticeships and traineeships programmes in Ireland, aimed at delivering 50,000 apprenticeship and traineeship registrations by 2020. One of the greatest causalities of the recession were apprenticeships and traineeships. Enrolment in their career pathway collapsed and fell by over 80%. This closed down an important pathway which is a characteristic element in many of the most successful education systems. We now need to do two things. Firstly, rebuild these traditional
pathways; and secondly build new apprenticeships and traineeships in areas where they haven’t traditionally existed. We need to rebuild these options into a new robust pathway which will become an attractive and respected option for at least 20% of our school leavers. This would see the present apprenticeship and traineeship system expand significantly, covering all major economic sectors, and doubling enrolments to 14,000. This will require us to forge a new partnership with employers, both in the public and private sectors.
Working with employers, we will strengthen apprenticeship and traineeship in Ireland, increasing the range of courses and increasing the number of student places to achieve the Government targets. Under the plan, apprenticeships and traineeships will give an exciting career path for many young people. Apprentices and trainees will be embedded in enterprises and will get the chance to learn skills and get hands on experience. It will give young people the opportunity to acquire applied, technical skills
within a variety of sectors, and provide a very practical grounding which will stand to them as they move through their career and take advantage of promotional opportunities. For companies, the aptitudes which will be learned by these apprentices and trainees will be invaluable. It will help exporting companies based in Ireland to scale their business, to grow their exports and to take advantage of the opportunities offered by a global economy.
Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare St, D02 A272 · Tel: 01-6183196 · Email: colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie