Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will comment on amendments Nos. 2, 8, and 10. As my colleague, Deputy Brady, said on Committee Stage, Sinn Féin is totally opposed to what Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and now the Labour Party are proposing for the minimum wage this year. It is an insult to workers to propose a 30 cent increase in the minimum wage at some unspecified future date at the will of the Minister, which it seems is what will happen. The Minister's earlier response did not, unfortunately, give me any additional comfort. Workers need an increase in their wages now.

I refer to the Brexit excuse. No hard Brexit has occurred, so the Minister blaming Brexit for this minimum wage decision carries no weight whatsoever. It is a total red herring. Does the Minister realise that over 100,000 workers are currently living in poverty? How can she justify making these workers and families wait even longer for an increase in their wages? These workers and families need the Government's support now. I noted the Minister's contribution on Committee Stage in which she stated that our opposition to the Government's minimum wage plan would have meant workers would not get any increase next year. That is simply not true. If Sinn Féin is on the Government benches in the new year, as I hope we are, we will bring forward legislation to introduce a living wage of €12.30 per hour as a minimum for all workers. A living wage is a real change that would make a huge positive difference to thousands of workers and their families. A motion was passed in the Dáil in mid-October condemning the minimum wage decision by the Government and calling for a living wage to be introduced next year. That motion was supported by Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party, but they have now done a U-turn and are facilitating this unjustified minimum wage decision by Fine Gael. It is quite bizarre, particularly from the Labour Party. I do not understand its thinking on this issue at all. Perhaps it is trying to position itself favourably with Fine Gael ahead of the next general election.

Sinn Féin will not be supporting these amendments to the Government's minimum wage proposals. We are totally opposed to the Government's mean approach and we have set out how a living wage of €12.30 per hour could be introduced. If we were in government, we would introduce a living wage. We will not facilitate this Government penalising low-wage workers by delaying a small increase in the minimum wage. The Minister has not clarified when she will increase the minimum wage, if she does so.

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