Increase in minimum wage will help to ease the pressure on struggling families

21 July 2015

by Cllr Joe Costello

Dublin Central Labour TD Joe Costello has welcomed the recommendation from the Low Pay Commission that the minimum wage should be increased to €9.15.

Deputy Costello, who attended the Low Pay Commission announcement this afternoon at the Sean O’Casey Community Centre in East Wall, Dublin, commented: “I welcome the finding of the Low Pay Commission that the minimum wage should be increased to €9.15. The current €8.65 rate for the minimum wage has been in place since 2007. Since then the cost of living has increased considerably.  In 2010, Fianna Fail cut the minimum wage by €1 to €7.65 per hour in 2010, but it was increased back to €8.65 by Labour in Government in 2011. 

“An increase of 50c to the minimum wage could mean that pay packets increase by €1,000 a year for those who work on the minimum wage. This will help to ease the pressure for families who are struggling to get by with household bills.

“In the context of Ireland having the fastest growing economy in the Eurozone, it is fair that the lowest paid workers in our society also see their circumstances improve. Indeed an increase to the minimum wage will benefit economic growth because it will put more money back into people’s pockets to spend in the economy.

“The work Labour is doing to deliver better pay and better work will help ensure the economy is built on sound foundations and that workers earn a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”