Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of low pay. I respectfully suggest that it might be connected to the last topic that my good friend and colleague, Senator O'Reilly, raised. One of the big issues we have in this country, of which the Leader will be aware, is that we have the largest proportion of workers on low pay of any country in the EU, at 23%. Indeed, it was a topic that was explored by my colleague, Patricia King, of SIPTU. She quoted the papers produced by the Government's own tax strategy group, which estimated that 750,000 employees earned less than €400 per week in 2019. That represents 31% of the total class A PRSI employees. What that means, in essence, is that many people who work for a living are unable to earn a living. We know this because they are paid significantly below a living wage.

As the Cathaoirleach will know, the living wage for next year has been increased to €12.90 because of the significant increase in the cost of living that everyone in the country is facing currently. I do not want to fight the budget battle again but I call for a debate on this particular topic. The reality is that while I welcome the 30 cent rise in the minimum wage, if you take the Government's record as a whole over the first two budgets, then you realise that the total increase in the minimum wage has been 40 cent. This means that over the scheduled five budgets of this Government, we are at best are on course for a €1 rise in the minimum wage. That will leave us further behind the living wage than ever. I know the Tánaiste has spoken about moving to a living wage, and I welcome that. It will not happen without a significant step change in current budgetary policy, including these first two budgets.

My colleague, Senator Joe O'Reilly, mentioned nursing homes. As a trade union organiser, I can tell Members that there is a reason why nursing homes cannot get staff. It is because they are not allowed to organise, they are not allowed trade union representation and they are paid appallingly. Unfortunately, that goes for a number of other sectors to which the Senator referred. That, in turn, raises an issue to which I keep returning, namely, that of collective bargaining. Until we have collective bargaining rights in this country and until working men and women can organise themselves and have trade union representation, the scourge of low pay will be with us. I urge the Leader to organise a debate on this topic.