277. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of the 4,500 employer inspections in 2023 and the 2,300 employer inspections to date in 2024 identified wrongly classified as self-employed employees; if there are sectoral differences between misclassification; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39632/24]

The Department of Social Protection is responsible for ensuring the correct class of PRSI is being returned for individuals to protect their PRSI contribution record and future welfare entitlements. Employer Inspections are carried out by Social Welfare Inspectors, for a variety of reasons, including to validate and/or ensure that the PRSI scheme is being operated correctly and that the employer is complying with the legislation. Outcomes in respect of the overall number of Employer Inspections are not recorded in the manner requested by the Deputy.

Employer Inspections carried out by the Inspectors in the Employment Status Investigation Unit (ESIU) deal exclusively with PRSI misclassification. During 2023 & to end of September 2024, approximately 1,000 of the Employer Inspections were carried out by ESIU encompassing over 4,000 workers. Only, 3.5% of the individual cases from these inspections were considered to need referral for a formal decision to determine the correct PRSI classification. Of the cases referred for decision, 43% were re-classified as class A. No sectoral trends have been identified.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy