Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would also like to welcome what is happening today, and make reference to the fact that the construction sector, particularly the apprentice construction sector, has recovered or is recovering. We are using this to try to attract more talent and more workers into the sector and the market is reflecting that. Much of this is a knock-on effect.

We need to balance salaries or wages against the business challenges out there as well. We do not want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, so we must try to find that balance. I worked in a minimum wage job in a bar for a year, so I can see it from both sides. I also worked in commercial roles in businesses. It is about finding the balance that is best for everybody. I welcome the legislation coming through, and agree with some of what was said by my colleague. However, we must also be mindful of middle-income earners in this economy, and we need to start looking at creative ways of maximising take-home pay for people who work hard and should be rewarded for it. That is something I very much want to drive and something I very much believe in. The harder people work, the more money they should make and the more pay they should get, and the more disposable income they should have. That needs to be balanced with taxes as well and that is something we also need to look at going forward.