Income Inequality
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-19
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Peter Burke (FG), Longford-Westmeath

I would point out that the gold standard for us as politicians and our citizens is the CSO. It has pointed out that all 13 sectors of the economy are growing equally and that the gross average industrial wage is over €1,000 per week, which is a 45% increase since 2015. We have seen 2,700 new jobs in the west over the past year, which means 2,700 families have an additional income this year compared to last year. It also means that we are working to ensure we have very strong clients based on budget 2026. Look at Hollister in the Deputy's own area. Look at AbbeVie, Coca-Cola, Fanta and Baxter. These are huge multinational clients providing high-value jobs in the west. The policies in budget 2026, particularly our research, development and innovation tax credit, will deliver high-quality, high-paid jobs and that is what this Government is committed to doing.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-19