Mr. Ultan Courtney:

The sub-minimum wage rate is something that we are looking at. We have done reports in regard to it. There is a small cohort of workers who are on that. We are at the stakeholder stage at the moment. We are consulting with people in regard to it, with a view to issuing a report on it in due course.

Deputy O'Reilly is quite correct, there are those who believe it is outdated and should not be in place, and those who believe it still has a function. Until the consultation is concluded I have no opinion to offer on it other than that we want to listen very carefully to anything anyone has to say in relation to it. I do not think I can add anything more in response to the Deputy at the moment. That is where the debate is at.