The Taoiseach was asked a very simple question.

I thank my colleague, an Teachta O'Rourke, for bringing forward this motion and providing us with an opportunity to have this very important debate. The Minister of State referred to all of us being on the same page. We are not really all on the same page, though, are we? Some of us are not even in the same book if truth be told. On the Minister of State's page, there are 9,000 people waiting up to 27 months to avail of the better energy warmer homes scheme. On his page, a wealthy household can access up to €25,000…

There is 20 minutes of Government time and the Deputy knows it.

When can workers expect to see some serious progression towards a living wage? Will the Tánaiste outline the estimated timeframe for delivery and the benchmarking that will be used to calculate it? We can all agree we are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. This is going to have more of an impact on those workers on low pay than on those who are not. They do not have a cushion or savings. They are the people most desperately in need of that protection.

The progression towards the living wage is a commitment given in the programme for Government. I acknowledge the advances that have been made by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, specifically in regard to the straw-man proposal and the public consultation. As the Tánaiste is aware, however, the 80 cent increase in the minimum wage was recommended by some, but not all, of the members of the Low Pay Commission. When are workers going to see a very real move towards the living wage? The Tánaiste has …

It will not pay the rent in my constituency and I doubt it will in the Tánaiste's constituency either. It is not that I do not acknowledge that there is a move. However it is not adequate. It goes without saying that I agree with the minority report of the trade union representatives. The majority may have voted in favour of the 80 cent but the workers' representatives on the commission did not. That tells a tale in itself. If the Tánaiste sticks with the timetable as outlined, the commitment given in his programme…

Will the Tánaiste commit to the establishment of an Irish enterprise agency to assist small and medium-sized enterprises that are trading domestically? As the Tánaiste will know, this is a long-standing policy of Sinn Féin. Recently, IBEC have publicly backed a similar idea. We believe that this would be a great benefit to our small and medium-sized businesses, micro-businesses and indeed the family business sector.

In October 2020, the Tánaiste, in response to Deputy Quinlivan, said that the idea of a new agency is certainly something that he had an open mind on and that many business people he spoke to felt that there was a gap. When business is very small it can get help from local enterprise offices and when it is a bit larger or is an exporter, it can get help from Enterprise Ireland but there is a gap in between. It is that gap that Sinn Féin policy is addressing directly. When we speak to domestically trading small to m…

I thank the Minister of State. While we disagree on a huge amount, there is broad agreement that the gap needs to be addressed. We know the IDA has attracted thousands of multinationals since its establishment. The success can be seen in the results for 2021, where we see more than 275,000 people employed in the multinational sector. Enterprise Ireland is also doing a good job in its responsibility for developing and growing export markets. It is just that gap that has been identified. We see agencies like InterTra…

I have raised this issue with the Tánaiste in different guises on a number of occasions. On the one hand, when there is an industrial dispute, he and others in government will advise people to use the third-party machinery of the State, and that is entirely appropriate. On the other hand, however, we have agencies funded by his Department that then ignore these rulings in some instances. This case relates to bogus self-employment. It relates specifically to Design & Crafts Council Ireland - this has been reported i…

That is okay.

The Minister of State referred to the changing world of work as if it is something that has just recently happened. Of course, it has not. I was trying to work it out there, but I think it is about 17 years since the first time I heard the phrase "no mutuality of obligation" in a Labour Court recommendation. The Minister of State will know what that phrase means. It has been knocking around for a very long time. For years people thought that the bogus self-employment issue was something that existed only in certain…

It is a serious problem, a growing problem and one that needs to be tackled absolutely head-on. As I said, there was a time when people thought it was a niche issue. It is not. It is in the gig economy, IT, construction, universities, journalism and broadcasting. We know that it is happening; what we do not know is what the Government is actually going to do about it. The workers themselves miss out on so much when they are misclassified. I am talking about things like maternity benefit and other stuff that is real…

Question No. 11 is a simple one and I am conscious this was discussed earlier. I refer to an earlier comment made by the Tánaiste in which he said that viable but vulnerable businesses need to be prevented from failing. I understand this issue was discussed already. I ask this question on behalf of Deputy Gould.

Yes, it was. I was substituting for Deputy Gould and was not included in the grouping, which is why I am asking it now.

I was not called and I did alert the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to it.

If the Tánaiste and the Minister of State are agreeable, we could cut the time for the question. My question is fairly straightforward.

I did approach the Leas-Cheann Comhairle because I was not certain and just wanted to be sure.

I will be quick because I know Deputy Ó Ríordáin has a question.

The question relates to the supports currently in place for businesses. However, I want to ask about the Tánaiste's remarks, that he wants to prevent viable but vulnerable business from failing. How will he identify those businesses and how will he ensure the supports get to the business that are struggling with their energy costs?