Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

This is within the ambit of the questions I am addressing here. Social partnership is a central focus of our concerns as we speak but these protections have been in place primarily to give a guarantee to people involved in industries such as catering, hotel, construction, retail and grocery, hairdressing and printing. They help ensure that the rates of those workers are, as have been negotiated through long representative collective bargaining, at 8% above the minimum wage.

Does the Taoiseach realise that if these amendments are forced through they will see in place the drive to the bottom that certain interests in Irish society want to see achieved? Is this the intention of the Taoiseach and the Government? Will the Taoiseach avail of this opportunity to make it clear that there will be no drive down to or below the minimum wage as it applies to all of those on low to medium income levels at this point in time?

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