Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The living wage technical group has stated this morning that the living wage in Ireland has risen to €11.70, a rise of 20 cent, as a result of the increased cost of living facing citizens and workers. As the Taoiseach knows, the living wage is evidence-based and the rate of pay a full-time worker needs in order that he or she can experience a socially acceptable standard of living, certainly not a gold-plated standard of living but a threshold of decency. The Taoiseach will be aware that the rate of €11.70 is well in excess of the current national minimum wage which stands at €9.25, the rate earned by many who rise early in the morning and go out to work. The programme for Government contains a commitment to increase the national minimum wage to €10.50 in the next five years. This figure still falls well short of what has been independently judged to be a minimum living wage. In the programme for Government the Government states the reason for raising the national minimum wage is to reduce poverty levels. Given that the cost of living is outstripping any such increase, last year's increase in particular, will the Taoiseach accept that the Government needs to be more ambitious in its targets? Will he accept that it needs to adopt a policy of payment of the living wage to workers in order that a socially acceptable standard of living will be afforded to workers, citizens and their families?

See this speech in context