Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I take the point that the measures we have protect all workers but concerns exists that while we have certain protections in terms of, for example, the minimum wage, the real concern among trade unions and elsewhere is that this may become a standard wage and that we need more scientific evidence as to what exactly is going on. The figures the Minister gave for the construction industry are interesting and would dispel such concerns, given the percentage increase outlined by him. Does the Minister not agree that the real concern in this issue is a decrease in wage levels, rather than the issue of displacement, given our low unemployment rate and the research done by the Green Party?

The broad analysis of the CSO figures shows the percentage increase in job numbers. Given this has not been matched by a corresponding increase in tax revenue, is this a possible indication that while evidence shows wage levels in the construction industry are not decreasing, it may be occurring in other sectors? How does the Minister propose to be more scientific in analysing this area?

The Minister did not really address in his response what measures we could introduce or avail of if such a trend was to occur. In terms of a putative services directive, it appears the real concern is that we do not have legislative teeth in Ireland to protect wage levels, which does exist in other continental countries and that would be recognised within the framework of a services directive. We do not have the ability to avoid the minimum wage becoming, in a sense, the standard wage here. How can we get more scientific information and what can we do to hold up wage levels? Does the Minister believe we should be doing that?

See this speech in context