Ms Jean McCabe:

Yes, exactly; I did not want to say it. Many of those on the minimum wage are students and part-time workers. As I said in my opening statement, these increases have a knock-on effect on everyone else along the line.

I will provide some context. From January, the minimum wage will be €29,500 per year. A student nurse coming out of college after four years of studying will be on €32,000 or €33,000 per year. That is where we are at. When you put it in context like that, it is not a minimum wage; it is a living wage. If I was a 22-year-old on that wage while taking a gap year, I would be delighted. That is the reality of where we are at. As I said from the beginning, this is not about paying people fairly; it is about the fact that we have had to shoulder the cost burden of this completely alone. There have been substantial costs.

Were there any other questions the Deputy asked which he wanted a response to? There was a second one.