Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Government has made a serious mistake in reducing the minimum wage. I compliment Deputy Penrose on his speech. He is correct in saying that this does not make any political or economic sense. It is wrong to attack people on low incomes. I am afraid that the Minister will push more people onto social welfare because it will be better for them than to work. We cannot have a situation where it will not pay those on very low incomes and in receipt of rent allowance to work. Work should pay in this country. What is the thinking within the Minister of State's Department? Approximately, 465,000 people are unemployed.

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