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

-----and well-paid and poorly paid jobs. It is an across-the-board issue when there is full employment and that is a challenge we face. It is a challenge I would rather face than unemployment, which affected this country for a long time.

The new tender rate, which was backdated to July, is a core rate of €31 per hour for providers, which works out at an average rate of €34 per hour taking into account weekend pay, evening pay and premiums and travel rates. The national living wage is set at €13.10 and there is also travel time between appointments. There is an inbuilt review process on the national living wage after 12 months and I am advised that there is no evidence that this is not being passed on or being paid by providers.

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