Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Small Firms Association's representatives. Last week, their colleague, Mr. Mark Fielding, proposed that the best way of getting money back into people's pockets was through a taxation-based income return process. Is that something the witnesses would look at?

Figures have been quoted about our minimum wage being one of the lowest, but they include self-employed people who cannot afford to pay themselves. How many of Ms Callan's members are either not in a position to pay themselves the minimum wage or are paying themselves just around the minimum wage?

Figures were quoted for pre-tax profits, but how do they compare to European figures, including the UK? There is a flip-side to that. In January, the SFA previewed 2015 by saying that two thirds of firms were optimistic about growing and seven out of ten businesses expected to see strong investment levels. Surely if it is all that good and healthy, then workers should share in it as well.