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Over 1,000 inspections carried out by Welfare to detect 'bogus self employment'

More inspections are to be carried out in the near future.

SOCIAL WELFARE INSPECTORS last week conducted around 1,000 inspections of employers in Dublin city to make sure they were complying with employment law.

Welfare said these inspections were undertaken across the city and in a variety of sectors and are part of ongoing measures being undertaken by the department to detect instances of false self-employment and other possible abuses of the PRSI system.

Bogus self-employment is where the worker takes on the responsibility of paying their own taxes and being in charge of their tools or supplies but without the safety of being paid while out ill.

They also don’t enjoy the same benefits that self-employed would usually have. They would also have little to no control over when they work.

The inspections to employers proved worthwhile, according to the department, and have increased awareness of possible abuses of the PRSI system.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said: “Given the reduction in the Live Register and changes to work practices, our inspectors are increasingly being deployed to conduct employer inspections – checking that social insurance records are being correctly maintained, that workers are being properly classified as employees and that time at work is being reported correctly.

It is important to note that employers who falsify records or deliberately misclassify a worker can be charged arrears of social insurance contributions and can be prosecuted. We will follow up with prosecutions as appropriate.

The Department is increasing the number of Social Welfare Inspector visits on PRSI related activity over the course of 2018 and will continue this approach into 2019 in order to protect workers’ rights.

The department said that if a person is falsely self-employed it can affect their PRSI contribution record and their social welfare entitlements. It may also impact on their entitlements under employment rights legislation including, for example, entitlement to statutory minimum pay rates, receiving a payslip, rest breaks, public holiday and annual leave entitlements and protection against unfair dismissal.

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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:24 PM

    Fantastic. Please stop now, Maria

    1250
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    Mute Jake Kelly
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:22 PM

    Her attempt to complain was a swing and a fall

    692
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    Mute Tony Gordon
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:24 PM

    Does the wording ‘overstated’ translate to ‘lied’ ?

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    Mute Niall Sheridan
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:58 PM

    Still jumping up and down on her entitled little feet screaming unfair over falling off her swing!!!

    589
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    Mute
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:24 PM

    Delighted, she’s an awful trouble maker that one

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    Mute Mark Brown
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:06 PM

    Swing and a miss from her. Her behaviour was abhorrent. Delighted.

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    Mute cybersecsteve
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:20 PM

    SHAAAAWWWWN

    265
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    Mute barney rock
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:59 PM

    She would make a great actress.

    140
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    Mute Link
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:30 PM

    @barney rock: No she wouldn’t. If Meryl Streep took a case for €380k, she’d walk away with €380k and still stay on the party ticket!

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    Mute Modern Irish Dad
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:26 PM

    A lot of comment sections seem to be getting closed. I am sure there’s a lot of reasons for this but it may be a good time to read/reread the comment section guidelines in the spirit of good debate.

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    Mute Alex Fortune
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:43 PM

    @Modern Irish Dad: her actions were astonishingly bad and people will give their opinion on it

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    Mute Modern Irish Dad
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:50 PM

    @Alex Fortune: Thanks for that but I mean this in a general way across all posts where name calling and accusations have become the order of the day.

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    Mute Sylvia O'Regan
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:38 PM

    @Modern Irish Dad: The Journal aren’t deleting threads and shutting down comments sections because of name calling. I get a lot of abuse online. Those comments are very rarely removed. The comments that reflect a spirit of real investigative journalism are the problem…

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    Mute Modern Irish Dad
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:44 PM

    @Sylvia O’Regan: I noticed you took a lot of heat the other night and defended yourself very well but it must have been dificult, no?

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    Mute Des Doran
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:51 PM

    Maybe Donald Trump,might swing by,and give her a job.

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    Mute JMcB
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:12 PM

    Maria, sometimes it is better to quit while your behind

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    Mute TESSERACT2020
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:26 PM

    Seán

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    Mute Sylvia O'Regan
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:39 PM

    @TESSERACT2020:

    SHAAWWWWNNNNNnnnnnn!!!!!

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    Mute Lochlainn Marcus
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:06 PM

    O Maria go away!! Swings and roundabouts!!!

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    Mute Sean Higgins
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:54 PM

    In fairness the BAI upheld no complaints against RTE in 2019 out of 45 complaints made regarding editorial standards…….

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