Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have also agreed wage increases for example, and only last week there was agreement from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Bear in mind the Deputy is the man who said Fine Gael could not negotiate a pay deal and that we did not understand the unions. Last week we saw agreement for the negotiated pay deal with ICTU, which will see pay increases in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for all public servants, particularly those on the lowest pay.

What other things can we do? We can expand social insurance benefits. In the next couple of weeks, for example, social insurance benefits will be extended to people who pay pay-related social insurance. There will be a restoration of treatment benefit, for example, which was cut by the then Minister for Social Protection - a member of the Deputy's party - but it was restored by me when I got that job.

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