Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has made a number of points. It is not that we are cynical with regard to the low pay commission. We are ambitious for it but we do not believe there is the necessary level of ambition in terms of an economy dealing with entrenched poverty. In Britain, and this was the case I put to the Minister of State, they have started to appraise the effectiveness of their low pay commission. People who were formerly chief executive officers of that commission concluded that to have a narrow focus on the minimum wage only does not address low pay. I understand there may be an opportunity in the future for a broadening of that focus beyond the minimum wage but I suggest the Minister of State give our commission a concrete direction in terms of those issues because it is unlikely he will be in that position next year when this organisation has published its first report. This is his opportunity to put his stamp on it and be sure of it.