Results 1,141-1,160 of 4,178 for speaker:Paul Gavan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Nevertheless, I cannot reconcile that point about making progressive changes with a pay cut to the lowest-paid workers in the State. In fairness, Mr. Courtney has conceded that that is what has happened over the past three years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: That is the way that workers would look at the money.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Mr. Courtney is saying that he has had submissions from workers asking not to get a pay increase.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: I am surprised at that. We will move on. In the commission’s submission it states: “ When we made our recommendation of a 7.6% increase in the National Minimum Wage inflation was predicted to be 4% in 2023 ... ”. Can I clarify with Mr. Courtney, please, in which month the commission made that recommendation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Looking at the consumer price index information, I see that for April inflation was at 7%, in May it was 7.8%, and in June it was 9.1%. In July, the commission would have had access to that June figure. How on earth did the commission assume that inflation for the year was going to be as low as 4%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: I hear what Mr. Courtney is saying but we all look out for the inflation figures which are available every month.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Is Mr. Courtney saying that the Low Pay Commission did not take into account those inflation figures that I have just quoted?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: The answer then is “No”.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: I am struggling with this. I hear what Mr. Courtney is saying but it was common knowledge that the main inflation rate was 7.8%. That was on record. How could the Low Pay Commission have assumed that inflation for the year was going to be as low as 4% when it made this recommendation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Even the fact that Mr. Courtney highlights that, would he not now accept that that was a mistake?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: I certainly did.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: I hear Mr. Courtney but I am still puzzled as to how his prediction was 4%, when Mr. Courtney says the commission made that recommendation in July, when we certainly had data at that stage in the public domain telling us that inflation was roaring ahead at that point at 9.1% in June. I am completely puzzled as to how the commission came up with the prediction for the year of 4%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: So as the commission’s prediction was 9.6%, and it has confirmed again a further pay cut for the lowest paid workers in the State, I want at this point to try to move the conversation on. Given the fact that the increase recommended by the commission, the €0.80, has been completely wiped out by inflation, would the commission consider making a recommendation for a supplemental...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: There has been a precedent in the past. I remember in 2007 that there were two increases in the minimum wage. Why could the commission not look at something like that, given the exceptional circumstances that these low-paid workers now find themselves in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Mr. Courtney has conceded that on his prediction for inflation next year of 4%, that inflation is effectively, as we know from yesterday’s statement, going to be twice that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Again, I am conscious of time and I appreciate Mr. Courtney’s answers. Has the Low Wage Commission ever stated that a living wage should be equivalent to 60% of the medium wage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: It is straightforward question. Has the Low Wage Commission ever definitively said that a living wage should be equivalent to 60% of the median wage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: That is important and I appreciate that Mr. Courtney has put that on the record because the Tánaiste has previously said that a living wage is 60% of the median wage. That is not something that the Low Pay Commission has ever actually said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Paul Gavan: It is important. In fairness, Mr. Courtney has been very clear on this point and I appreciate that. In its submission, the Low Pay Commission mentions the figure of 66% as the ultimate destination. The 66% figure is significant, is it not, because that is where we define low wages and anything below that is-----