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

The answer to Deputy McDonald's question is "No". We negotiate public sector pay with the trade unions. That is done under the terms of pay deals that happen periodically and that do not require legislation. We have a pay deal with the public service trade unions. When that comes to an end, I imagine that we will have another pay deal with the public service unions. That is how we decide on pay levels within the public service.

The living wage, as the Deputy will be aware, exists in the United Kingdom. It exists in Northern Ireland where Deputy McDonald's party was in power for ten years. The living wage in the United Kingdom is actually lower than the minimum wage in Ireland. I would not like there to be a living wage that is lower than our national minimum wage.

See this speech in context