Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I should mention that my colleague, Senator Gavan, also introduced legislation on this issue previously. It is something that is of concern to Sinn Féin as well.

Dr. Bambrick mentioned the minimum wage increases ranging from between 8.5% and 10.2% between 2004 and 2007. I absolutely know this was not Dr. Bambrick's intention but it looks on paper as if the Low Pay Commission was getting in the way of those increases.

I want to make a broader point regarding a potential for wage spiral, however. It has been put to us in flashing blue lights that any increases in the minimum rates of pay that are beyond the very modest one that was announced recently would cause a wage spiral inflation. I am not convinced of that. Does Dr. Bambrick have a view on that?