Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, report makes for very stark reading today. It says that the number of people living in energy poverty is now nearly one third of all households and that is set increase to as high as 43%. Are the pay increases the Government is going to consider going to be in line with this absolutely shocking increase the cost of living?

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, estimates that the average worker has lost €2,500 in income in real terms. It is obviously necessary for workers to have that returned to them in pay increases. I think that should be pay increases in the order of what we have seen in terms of Dunnes and Tesco workers with 10% to compensate for that level of loss. It is also in the interest of the economy, however, because that is purchasing power those workers no longer have, and if they do not get compensated with significant pay increases and increases in things like the living wage, it will actually lead to a significant hit on the wider economy.

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