As part of his plans for “major reform” of the PRSI system, former Health Minister and now Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has launched a major survey of 20,000 self-employed people.

The survey is asking what new benefits they would most like to receive from future reforms, as well as whether they would be willing to pay more PRSI in return for access to greater benefits.

Minister Varadkar (pictured) said: “The survey informs self-employed people which benefits are currently available to them, whether they consider them good value, and how much extra PRSI they would consider paying for access to greater benefits.

“I have announced my intention to reform the PRSI system along more European lines, in order to create a clearer link between PRSI contributions and the benefits received. Earlier this year, I brought a memorandum to Government setting out my intentions, and this new survey will guide me and the department in the next stage of reforms, in Budget 20ı7 and in future budgets.”

Alongside dental and optical treatment benefits, respondents will be asked which extra benefit entitlements would be most important to them, such as long and short-term illness benefits, work-related injury benefits, unemployment benefits and benefits for time as a full-time carer.

The chief statistician in the Statistics and Business Intelligence Unit of the Department of Social Protection is overseeing the survey, which was sent out at the beginning of August, with an end date of 31 August.