Some good news this week.
The Government is set to raise the national minimum wage from 1 January 2023.
Multiple reports have cited plans to increase the pay package, with the bill set to be signed into law on Wednesday (14 September).
The wage is set to increase by 80 cents, to a total of €11.30 an hour for employees.
The news comes as the Government discusses plans to introduce a “multibillion euro” budget package to ease the current cost of living crisis.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that the budget required “a response of scale”.
“I don’t think it’s about a competition of trying to spend more money then we spent during Covid. I think that’s the wrong approach,” Varadkar said.
“It has to be enough to reassure people that their living standards won’t fall precipitously.
“It has to be enough to say to businesses that we saved jobs and businesses during the pandemic, we’re not going to let them go to the wall now.
“It also needs to reassure the vulnerable that there’s a floor that we won’t let them fall below.”
Sinn Féin has also announced plans to put forward a motion with the aim of cutting energy costs in the country.
The new plan would see electricity bills capped to the prices they were in 2021, and to give cash handouts to low and middle-income families to assist with paying bills.
Pearse Doherty, the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, made the announcement on Monday (12 September).
“Energy bills are skyrocketing and families across the country are worried sick about paying their bills,” Doherty said.
“Prices are going up and up, yet the government is failing to act.
“The government refused Sinn Féin’s calls for an emergency budget before the summer and have been dragging their heels about acting to help hard-pressed workers and families.
“People can’t wait; they need help and they need it now.”
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