Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I hope to have the mechanism in place by the end of the month. That is what we are working towards and that is why we have been communicating with groups on the putting in place of the process. I want to return to the key point. The grant will be paid by the Department, regardless of whether I am here after the election. It is not related to the minimum wage.

We want a social enterprise mechanism that pays a good salary to people so they can have a strong role in society.

If I am returned, I will work with these groups to help put a business plan in place whereby they can pay all of their employees a reasonable wage while meeting local criteria. This may not necessarily involve an increase in the grant, but an examination of what the groups are doing and how we can assist them and build on their strengths. This work has been carried out over the past year and I have had positive interactions with many community services programme, CSP, schemes that have considered how to enhance their employees' salary rates.

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