Mr. Finbarr Filan:

We all want our workers to have a decent wage. As Deputy Conway-Walsh said, my business would not exist without the workers. It is plain and simple. They are my team. I am out fighting for them every day because I want them to stay and be on my team. I am blessed that I have staff who have been with me for over 15 years. But we have to annualise the minimum wage. When we say the minimum wage is going from €13.50 to €14 something, it does not seem like a lot. It is not even a cup of coffee. However, the current annual minimum wage is €27,300. I must add on my employer's PRSI and I must also add on holidays because most businesses employing people at the minimum wage always have to have someone there. Someone has to be on the shop floor. This raises it to €32,000. Next year, it will increase to €28,500 and with the additional costs it will be €34,000. This is a good standard of living. It is not that long ago when the big four were hiring trainee accountants at €24,000 and they thought they were doing really well. It was mentioned earlier that the minimum wage is an issue for IBEC. IBEC came late to the minimum wage discussion because nobody annualised it. The minimum wage report from the Low Pay Commission does not state the minimum wage is €27,000 a year, it always says how much it is per hour. We have to deal with this first of all.

On the PRSI issue, my total employer's PRSI is about €800 a week. If I got something back of course it would help and it would be a way of balancing the books. How much will I get back and by how much will it offset the minimum wage increase? If I get back 3% I will get €250 back but the increase will be €700. It is about balance. Anything would be welcome and I will not say "no".