Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would remind the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, that much of the infrastructure to which he referred, and that he is now using, was put in place by our party. First, I ask him to consider the Government's responsibilities in this regard. For instance, when PRSI kicks in for somebody on the minimum wage their entire income becomes liable to PRSI if it increases by a small amount. We also have the perverse situation where somebody earning €18,304, which is the minimum wage, would be paying an effective tax rate of 5.25%. If somebody earns an additional €1 per hour it goes up to 9.25% because of PRSI kicking in. Will that be considered by the commission?

Second, one of the biggest deterrents to somebody coming off welfare and taking up a position in the labour force is the cost of child care and the lack of child care provision. There was nothing in the budget to assist people with child care costs, particularly people we want to get back into the workplace. Will the issue of child care costs and provision be examined in the context of the commission, given its importance for people making the decision to go back to work?

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