Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their time. I did not receive their opening statement until after 9 a.m., which is not acceptable.

Between February 2015, when the Low Pay Commission was established, and July 2021, prices increased by 4.4%. In February 2015, the minimum wage was €8.65 and in July 2021, the commission recommended a minimum wage of €10.50 an hour, which the Government agreed to. That equated to a 21% increase over a period when there was an increase of only 4.4% increase in prices. Clearly, for a variety of reasons, we have seen much higher inflation most recently and that needs to be addressed. Nevertheless, does Dr. Bambrick believe that prior to the recent surge in inflation, and certainly until July 2021, the Low Pay Commission was ensuring that the situation of lower income workers was improving consistently?