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

I agree that the best way to examine the situation is using purchasing power parity. That is fair. Irish people are paying more on average than our peers in Europe or across the OECD. We do have a higher cost of living and that needs to be factored in. What I do not think we should do is use relativities, because they can distort the picture. A small number of people who are paid an awful lot of money in the multinationals can move the average. It is misleading to use relativities of that nature. I agree that a fair comparison is purchasing power parity.

On the national minimum wage, I will check up on this. I acknowledge that the increase this year is less than the rate of inflation. I am pretty sure if the Deputy looks back over the last three, four or five years and takes it in the round, that the national minimum wage has increased ahead of the rate of inflation but I will double check that. On the living wage, I have finally got the report from the Low Pay Commission. The Minister of State, Deputy English, and I will consider it over the recess and will come back with a plan to move Ireland towards a living wage as committed in the programme for Government.

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