Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The point has been made that the sub-minimum rates do not affect a large number of people. They apply to one in every 140 people in the workforce, but 15,000 people is not a small number. I wonder whether the number is increasing, as there has been a lot of talk about full employment. In full employment, employers are looking around left, right and centre for people to do work. I suspect the number is increasing and wonder whether there is any empirical evidence of that. I ask Dr. Redmond to respond.

This also affects the workers' families as 80% of sub-minimum rate workers are students, many at third level.

They have got significant costs and if they cannot meet those costs such as fees and travel through their wages while being paid exploitative wages, it is the parents who often end up subsidising. This is an issue for the parents and is an issue for a lot more than 15,000 people. It is blatant discrimination and those young people and their families regard it as such. I am sure the representatives from Mandate are hoping that this issue is resolved by budget time on 1 October but if it is not resolved by then, can they see this being an issue in the upcoming general election?