Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that some small businesses are experiencing difficulties at the moment. There will be challenges for businesses to wean themselves off the kind of corporate welfare that has been available over the last few years to maintain the viability of businesses. However, this should not be done at the expense of low-paid workers. We have a problem with low pay in this country. More than 20% of all workers are on low pay. This is not sustainable and is not something that we should stand over. The establishment of the Low Pay Commission in 2015 was one of the most important institutional changes to protect the interests of low-paid workers that society experienced in many years. I have no doubt that the Low Pay Commission, given the importance of its work, will be a bulwark against attempts to undermine the interests of low-paid workers. I stand over the statement I am about to make. I do not believe that in the absence of the Low Pay Commission, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil would have increased the minimum wage to the point it is at now. Moreover, I would not see a situation where we are moving towards 60% of median hourly wages in terms of real living wage into the future, if it were not for the Low Pay Commission. I ask the Minister to restate his commitment to the pathway to the living wage and not in any way undermine its importance and independence.

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