David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for bringing the Bill forward in the first place and welcome cautiously the establishment of the Low Pay Commission which I hope does more than simply look at the national minimum wage. It is going to be something that will be enhanced in time in any event. If one looks at the example I gave earlier of the British model, it is learning lessons. The Minister of State will be open to that in time also. It will also be open to a future Government and who knows who might be in office then. I assume the Low Pay Commission will change over time in any event.

I wish the members of the commission well in their work. We must be mindful that this is about doing what we can as an Oireachtas to ensure we have decent work and pay. We must have decent and not poverty wages for workers in the State and move away from the high incidence of low pay which, unfortunately, exists in different sectors of the economy. The Minister of State will shortly have sight of the report on low pay, decent work and a living wage to which I have been referring as it going before the Oireachtas committee. The report also makes recommendations in relation to the Low Pay Commission, some of which I have articulated. I would appreciate and welcome the Minister of State's input in respect of the document as it works its way through the joint committee.

Despite some reservations I have, I wish the commission well. We must all work together to ensure we do what we can to support low paid workers across the State and, indeed, the island.