Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

Where is the evidence that lowering the income of the lowest paid workers - even by a marginal degree in terms of Sunday and other premium payments - will create extra jobs? There is no evidence to back it up. The Minister is cutting off his nose to spite his face because he will further constrict demand in the economy. There is an alternative proposal, however. Instead of trying to create jobs by taking from the earnings of the lowest paid, why not do something about differential rates? In that case, struggling small businesses would pay lower rates, which would be compensated for by the bigger and more profitable business chains paying higher rates. Would that not do a hell of a lot more to stimulate job creation, rather than taking earnings from low-paid workers who spend their money in those same shops and businesses?

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