Ms Jean McCabe:

I employ ten part-time girls. They are an amazing team. The increase in costs I have seen within my business in the last couple of months has been astronomical as a result of minimum wage increases. For the first time, I have utilised the sub-minimum rates as a tool to try to manage those costs. The question we need to ask is whether we really want to deny an opportunity for youth workers to have a part-time job that builds skills, resilience and a work ethic that will serve them for life. The studies show that we are going to end up reducing their opportunities in youth employment by abolishing this rate.