Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A living wage makes possible a minimum acceptable standard of living. Work should provide an adequate income to enable individuals to afford a socially acceptable standard of living - a living wage that provides for needs, not wants. A living wage would help to provide employees with sufficient income to achieve a minimum standard of living. In other words, it would be an income floor or the bottom line.

Employees below the living wage are forced to do without essentials to make ends meet. In a cost-of-living crisis where the cost of rent, fuel, healthcare, childcare and food has gone through the roof and people have to choose between paying rent, heating their homes and putting food on the table, people need a living wage now more than ever to try to stay out of poverty and avoid being pushed into the hands of moneylenders that charge extortionate rates.

Low-paid workers are wondering whether they will ever be able to build or own their own homes or be offered local authority housing. Only a couple of days ago, figures were released to my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, on local authority affordable or advance purchase housing for the years 2022 to 2026. In my constituency of Meath West, there are more than 4,000 people on the social housing list, yet the Government can only commit to building 30 affordable homes there per year. In the Minister of State's county of Westmeath, where 2,000 people are on the social housing waiting list, the Government will commit to building 15 homes per year. Is that acceptable to him? What kind of ambition is this from a Government that claims it will solve the housing crisis? What hope is there for people on low wages of owning their own homes? The Government tells the Dáil every week that the situation is getting better, but better for whom?

In 2007, the minimum wage was €8.30 per hour. In 2022, it is €10.50, yet the cost of living has trebled in most cases. The change in the minimum wage does not reflect the current market. It is time we looked after those who need it most. Families are struggling to live with the rising cost of heating oil, electricity, gas, diesel and insurance. People who work for a living should be able to earn a living.

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