Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I waited to listen to the Minister's response before I came in. It is a well-intentioned amendment and what we are all trying to do and what we all need to try to do is to look at why so many businesses are under so much pressure. Their margins are getting tighter and tighter and it is not just that the minimum wage goes up, everybody else's wages have to go up because the minimum wage has gone up, so there ends up being a larger wage bill and increasing the levels of PRSI contributions based on a larger wage bill from the employer side.

It is unusual that Senator Gavan is on the same side as the Restaurants Association of Ireland, RAI, I get that. It is good that he is at the same time. As a House, as a Parliament, as Ministers, as Government and as a State, we need to ensure whatever way we do it works. Restaurants can be busy, and I do not mean they are busy fools, but they are very busy and they are not making any money. If they close, we have issues with employment. We are also losing all of these facilities from various towns, villages and cities all over Ireland.Therefore, we do need to do things. I appreciate why the Minister cannot produce the report requested but believe the Government needs to consider this matter further.