I raise the issue of bogus self-employment, which leaves many workers without their rights and costs the State up to €1 billion a year in lost tax revenue. The use of test cases to determine the employment status of large groups of workers by the Social Welfare Appeals Office has facilitated this abuse. There is no legal basis for categorising employment status purely based on occupation. We are now reaching the end of the line for the denials by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, that test cases are being used by the Social Welfare Appeals Office. It is reported in the Irish Examiner today that a musician has refused to attend his appeal with the office on the basis that it uses test cases. Instead, he will take a case to the Circuit Court. It is similarly reported that an RTÉ worker will do likewise. Can we now have an admission by the Government and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, that test cases have been used by the Social Welfare Appeals Office, and a commitment to end their use?

A new work group was set up by the Tánaiste in recent weeks to look at the whole area of self-employment. It brings together all the members of the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF. The first meeting took place took two weeks ago, which I chaired. The work group is reviewing all of these issues and will bring forward recommendations, through LEEF, to my Department and the Department of the Taoiseach. I may make some changes on foot of that, if needs be.