Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Will Mr. Fielding talk us through how his proposals in regard to the earned income tax credit would work? He did not have it costed and is leaving that to the Low Pay Commission to do, but does he have any idea of a costing? A small business would not make a proposal without costing it. Are there any companies in which it works?

Mr. Fielding said the price of many items and essential expenditure - he cited car insurance, education and health insurance - have increased sharply in recent years. He then referred to the input costs for industry in terms of diesel costs, electricity costs, etc., but they are also income costs for households for whom fuel costs and electricity costs are particularly high. Is that not an argument for an increase in the minimum wage, because the input costs for employees have increased as well?

Mr. Coffey did the usual academic thing and gave us all the answers but did not give us a solution. The presentation was excellent but will he come off the fence and say whether we need an increase in our national minimum wage? We have had all this employment creation recently but pay levels seem to be staying flat. Mr. Coffey spoke about wage share but when we look at the CSO figures on pay, they do not correlate with the employment creation. Are all these new jobs being created at low wages?

Mr. Coffey said that we were slightly above the EU average for wholesale and retail, above the EU 15 average for accommodation and food service activities and at the EU average for the administration and support service activities. They are the areas in which the minimum wage tends to be paid most. Does that suggest that the figures back up Mr. Fielding's argument? It probably goes back to my first question on Mr. Coffey's own opinion as an economist.

In regard to employers' PRSI, do not forget that employers' PRSI has been doubled. The cost of employers' PRSI was doubled in 2013 and I have no doubt that had an impact on many job creation plans, in particular in those sectors to which Mr. Coffey referred.