Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is quite good at identifying some of the problems, but he does not take a solutions-based approach to the economic and social challenges. That is unfortunate, but we do and we have had some success in doing so. I do not agree with his depiction of the economy as a low-wage economy in general. The evidence does not suggest it is. Living standards are improving; the level of disposable income is improving, as are wage levels across the economy. We are playing our role in improving wage levels across the economy, through an increase in the national minimum wage from 1 January this year which will apply to about 124,000 workers. That is a very significant contribution, with, as I mentioned, the signing of employment regulation orders which apply to 55,000 workers in contract cleaning and security services. We are legislating and regulating to make sure the least well-off in society, those who work hard, will see an uplift in their living standards. We are doing what we can from a legislative point of view to make sure that will be the case and the economic recovery will hit not just every region in the country but every household. That is our job.

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