Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

That characterisation is inaccurate in terms of the expectation that people will be on €125 a week. The bottom level is €300. There are other aspects to the system as well. The logic of this is to follow European norms where we can avoid a cliff edge as regards the drop in income people face, if they are unlucky enough to lose their jobs. A recent classic example of that is the issue of Tara Mines, whose workers, unfortunately, will not benefit from this, but the scheme will improve situations for workers in general. I go back to the point I made regarding the ceilings we set. It will make sure that the resources being put into this are pushed down to those who are lower paid. Some €5 million has been provided for the scheme's introduction in the second half of next year. Overall, the benefit will be seen clearly by low-paid workers because of those caps we have put on the different levels of payment that will accrue over periods of time.

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