asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she is aware that fishermen are classified as self-employed for the purpose of unemployment assistance payments by her Department and as PAYE workers by the Department of Finance; and if she will take steps to eliminate this anomaly.

I am not aware that the position is as stated by the Deputy. However, I would be glad to have the matter fully investigated in conjunction with the income tax authorities if the Deputy will furnish me with particulars of any cases of which he is aware in which fishermen are treated differently by the two Departments.

Is the Minister aware that fishermen are classified as self-employed by her Department and there is an anomaly in regard to tax payments because they are classified as PAYE workers? Would the Minister accept it is unfair that a fisherman who may earn £500 for a season has to give an account of his earnings when he goes to the unemployment exchange while someone employed for a similar period who may have earned double the amount of money has only to give the date he finished employment and the name of his employer? Why must a part-time fisherman be classed as self-employed by the Department of Social Welfare?

The Deputy is moving into an area outside the scope of this question. We would be glad to investigate the cases of any individuals who are being dealt with differently by the two Departments. The Department of Finance have indicated that they would be very willing to examine this matter sympathetically.

Would the Minister accept that her Department classify these fishermen as self-employed? I am concerned mainly with part-time fishermen. When they wish to draw social Welfare payments they have to give an account of their earnings and if they earned £500 their payments are cut by £10. A person in my constituency who does temporary work for Bord na Móna and who earns double that amount automatically draws unemployment benefit.

The matter raised seems out of line with the question, but I will explain the thinking of the Department on this matter. The Deputy refers to seasonal fishermen on the Mayo coast who fish for salmon and lobster for a few months of the year. For unemployment assistance purposes, they are assessed on profits from fishing. Profits are assessed less expenses and there is a further disregard of £120 per year allowed under the Act.

This is in contrast to the earnings of employees who are working under a contract of service. They are statutorily excluded from the assessment of means for unemployment assistance purposes. However, employees can claim only when their employment cases whereas self-employed seasonal fishermen can claim all year round and they are paid the appropriate rate of unemployment assistance less the weekly means averaged over the full year. Income is taken into account over a yearly basis and is assessed as part of the normal assessment for supplementary assistance.

Will the Minister give full consideration to this matter? The fishermen she has mentioned are part-time, seasonal. They are being deprived of the maximum rate of unemployment assistance during the winter when they cannot go to sea. I support Deputy Gallagher and I ask the Minister to give further consideration to this matter.

This matter has been raised on many occasions. The fishermen in this case would seem to be a particular group. They fall to be examined through the method open to everybody else who, to some extent, is self-employed. A system which appeared to be universally fair might prove to be unfair in some cases. This would seem to be a matter which could be examined by the new agency which has been set up.

That is progress.

18.