Reducing the rate of the minimum wage was a cut that had the most impact on low paid workers, specifically women and young people. It imposed hardship on households at greatest risk of poverty who could least afford it. As a result of the reversal of the €1 per hour cut, workers on the minimum wage stand to gain more than €40 a week. This makes employment more attractive to people claiming jobseeker's allowance and provides a greater incentive to find work. Section 22 provides for this change which will come into effect from 1 July 2011.

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