Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to support this motion. The word "crisis" appears to go hand in hand with this Government. We have gone from one crisis to the next and now we have reached a crisis in the cost of living. Some in the Government seem to think the solution is to stop complaining and to shop around. People do shop around, but some cannot do so because of barriers. Those people who are struggling are invariably on low pay and the minimum wage. The reality is that working on the minimum wage puts individuals and families at increased risk of poverty. According to the CSO, approximately 120,000 people earn the minimum wage or less in Ireland. Approximately 110,000 people in Ireland live below the poverty line, despite being in employment. It is easy to forget that every single one of these numbers represents a person, someone struggling to get by, to survive and to provide for themselves and their family.

How does it reflect on us as a society to have such a large number of people living in or on the edge of poverty? What does it say about the coalition Government when it fails to act where it can to improve the standard of living for these workers and their families? The measure of a State is how we support and protect the more vulnerable, yet the Government seems more concerned about protecting vulture funds and big developers rather than ordinary workers. Increasing the minimum wage will give the Government the clearest opportunity to put thousands of workers and their families out of poverty. It would start to give working families the quality of life they deserve. It is not just good for the individuals but also good for the wider community. If the Government fails to act as energy and housing prices continue to spiral out of control, the cost of living will continue to worsen and put thousands of people at risk of poverty because so many are so close to the cliff, looking into that dark abyss. Sinn Féin has outlined measures that would make a difference. I accept there are elements the Government cannot influence or change, but there are many things the Government can do and it needs to do them.

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