Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will answer the Deputy's questions on the national minimum wage. Thus far, the Low Pay Commission's recommendations have been accepted by the Government, with the result that the national minimum wage increased from €8.65 to €9.90 per hour between January 2016 and January 2019. The legislation relating to the setting of the national minimum wage has been in place since 2000. I take the Deputies' comments on board. Since I became Minister, I have increased the capital and current funding for arts at a difficult time. That has to be acknowledged. We have to give more funding to the Arts Council and bring other measures such as the percent for art and social welfare schemes into the mix in policy formation. Artists have a difficult job to do and should be encouraged and supported in any way possible.

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