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

This is an important amendment. We should proof everything we do against low pay. The Department should not produce anything that is not equality-proofed in respect of pay and wages. If we do not include these factors, the court will be directed by the legislation to disregard the prevalence of low pay and precarious work. The level of unemployment and competitiveness will be the only factors taken into account. The Minister of State has an opportunity to change this and I suggest he apply the rule of thumb of eradicating low pay in all the legislation for which he is responsible.