Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The detail of that will be important to the workers. The topic of the evening is the considerable pressure people are under as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. I realise we refer to it often in this Chamber but the reality is that people are choosing between heating, eating and paying the rent. It is difficult for many to do all three.

I want to raise the issue of the secretarial assistants. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission has sent the Minister the Shay Cody report on secretarial assistants. Can the Minister advise me on the next step? I am sure he is aware that tomorrow it will be four years since SIPTU lodged the pay claim. Some political staff are still starting at a salary that is lower than the living wage, which is shocking.

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