Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The Minister made play tonight of the fact that the Government is not going to cancel the minimum wage increase in the event of a no-deal Brexit but instead it will defer it. Do not expect any thanks from the lowest-paid workers in this country for that clarification. The decision is pretty much the same as saying the Government will not kick these people with two feet but rather with one instead. There will be no gratitude from the low-paid for that decision.

I note Fianna Fáil's opposition to the motion and the Civil War parties are united in trying to deny low-paid workers a living wage. In reality, a 30 cent per hour increase is completely inadequate. The average rent in Dublin is more than €2,000 per month and in Cork it is nearly €1,400 per month. Approximately 20% of the lowest-paid workers earn less than two thirds of the median wage. The percentage of young workers under 30 with no contract rose from 20% to nearly 35% between 2014 and 2016.

I will be moving an amendment-----

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