Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

It will not be a surprise to anyone who watched the recent RTE television programme, which is highly commendable, that the hotel, bar and restaurant sectors are mentioned in this regard. In that programme a young man worked for low wages in various establishments and reported to the public on his experiences. It was shocking to note that his wage slip for a week's work following various deductions was approximately €200. It is difficult for anyone in this city to live on that wage. The person in question ran out of money two days before his next pay day. That is a remarkable example of some of the difficulties faced by people on low wages.

If I heard the Minister of State correctly, there were approximately 900 inspections in 2002 and only one conviction, and the figures were similar for other recent years mentioned. A research document carried out by the department of economics in Maynooth found that by and large the introduction of the minimum wage has been smooth and has not presented great difficulties to companies. Does the Minister of State agree with that position or does he believe that the Small Firms Association and economic commentators are correct in stating that approximately 26% of employers have serious difficulties in paying the minimum wage? Does he believe that small businesses have a problem in paying the minimum wage or does he consider it is a fair and just rate and that the low level of convictions show that we do not have problems in this area?

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