Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)

I wish to make a general point because I would have supported the proposed amendment. We must consider the issue of the Opposition putting forward amendments to finance Bills. It is ridiculous. We sit down and draft amendments about laying reports before the House but amendments are ruled out of order. I do not question the rulings of the Chair but we must deal with the issue that we cannot propose such amendments. The Minister had this difficulty when he was in opposition, as had previous Opposition parties. The idea that the Opposition cannot propose an amendment that would save money for the State, increase taxes or reduce taxes is ludicrous if we are to have a proper exchange.

We tabled an amendment that was ruled out of order relating to the restoration of the minimum wage. It is an amendment the Minister would agree with because it has exactly the same text which the Government included in the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill. The reason we put it in the Finance (No. 2) Bill is because there is no reason or rationale for it to be in a social welfare Bill. The only reason it is in the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill is to help get some of the Labour Party backbenchers into the "Yes" lobby to support the increase in the pension age, the equivalent of a 15% reduction in pension entitlements to a person in that age bracket. It should be in the Finance (No. 2) Bill.

The reduction in the minimum wage was brought in as part of the emergency finance Bill in December last year and the restoration of the minimum wage should be in this legislation. That being said, it has been ruled out of order because it is outside the scope of the Bill. Perhaps we will attempt to change the scope of the Bill later on. The idea that we cannot bring forward amendments is unsatisfactory. The Government rightly challenges the Opposition to bring forward credible solutions and proposals. We get the odd opportunity to argue and articulate those proposals in the Chamber and through the media. However, it is through amendments that the Government should be able to scrutinise the Opposition view, including what is in the text and what the effect of our policies will be. Today, for the Finance (No. 2) Bill, Sinn Féin has put forward proposals to restore the minimum wage.

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