Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

There is no proposal to cut any specific rate of pay. As the Deputy is aware, the Duffy report did not recommend reducing JLC rates to the national minimum wage although it was one of the issues considered, nor has this been included in the proposals. All the assessments of the impact of poverty indicate that the greatest source of poverty is the loss of a job. Persons who are unemployed are at risk of being in serious poverty at a level ten times greater than a person in employment by all tests. The motivation is to reduce the number of people who are becoming unemployed and to increase the number going back to work. All the poverty analysis indicates that this is the best way.

These sectors have been subject to a great degree of attrition in employment. They are also sectors in which we hope to build opportunities under the Government's initiatives for tourism. However, the businesses must be capable of responding to the opportunity. This is why we believe and the authors of the report believe that we must reform the system so that those employment opportunities can be seized.

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