Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are committed to moving to a living wage, as are some of the Senator's colleagues. A move towards a living wage is provided for in the programme for Government. That will be a positive journey but, again, it is a cost that will affect the creation and protection of jobs. We have to get that balance right, too. It is important to recognise that, in the context of the minimum wage and a commitment to a living wage, we are in a good place in Ireland. We need to focus on reducing the cost of living but that is not just the responsibility of employers. Their job is to make sure they pay and look after staff well, create jobs in the first place and create a good working environment. We, as a Government, along with all parties, have to work on the other parts of this. In general, that is what we do and try to achieve. Part of that is trying to bring down the cost of attending a GP.