Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The Minister of State's reply had nothing to do with the minimum wage. What is worse is the argument being given to his parliamentary party members who are peddling that line and trying to create a connection between registered employment agreements, joint labour agreements and the minimum wage. I listened very carefully to the Minister of State but I could find no logical connection. I look forward to him proving me wrong on this.

I would like to know how the Minister of State's figure of 52,000 people on the minimum wage was calculated. His officials obviously gave him that figure. I would say it is closer to 90,000. Approximately one in 20 of the workforce is on the minimum wage. The Minister of State can work out what 20 into 1.8 million is. That figure is wrong for a start.

The Minister of State said people are getting out of the registered employment agreements through C2 certificates and I have no reason to doubt him. However, I defy him to tell me how many of those C2 agreements are at minimum wage level. I guarantee him none are at that level. They will all be above the minimum and completely disconnected from it. That is why it is not part of what we are saying today.

The Minister of State mentioned the construction industry and keeping people in jobs. How many people in the construction industry or in the black market economy in the construction industry are being paid the minimum wage? That is not happening. These are the kinds of red herrings being brought into this argument time and again. I agree with the point the Minister of State made about registered employment agreements but I completely disagree that they have anything to do with the minimum wage. I will sit here until I hear him make a connection but I have heard many people in his party make the points he made. If he had dealt with the registered employment agreements and various aspects of them, I would have had great difficulty opposing him.