"Ireland at risk of reaching US levels of income inequality"

Can you back that up with anything?
Our average per capita income is just below the OECD average and while there is a big gap between the top 20% and the bottom 20% we have high welfare rates and high earners pay very high income tax rates while low earners pay almost no income tax.
The reason we have an increased proportion of people on the minimum wage is that it acts as a floor on the market. We set that floor much higher than most countries so we will have more people at that level.
If you want fewer people on the minimum wage then lower the rate. If you increase the rate then you will have more people earning it. You will also have far more people with no job but that's a different discussion.
The last time I looked there were about 5% of earners on the minimum wage. What is it now?

Average earnings have dropped by 0.5% per hour and 2.5% per week over the last 5 years due to people working fewer hours. We have seem big increases in taxation and public sector employees have been forced to make a larger contribution to their pensions (though they still come nowhere near funding them) so take home pay rates have dropped. This is due to our insistence as a state that we continue to spend so much money running the country. If you want more money in your pocket then ask the government to waste less and generally stop doing things that people would be better off doing for themselves.
 
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Dermot said:
I do have a problem with connected people using their connections to elevate less well qualified people ahead of more qualified people. Maybe I am a bit naive to be thinking like this as it is very widespread everywhere.
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If employees of a business or, worse, a state funded entity, use their connections to employ a friend or family member it is wrong. I think this is more common in the "professions" and less common in the state sector where, to be fair, there are transparent employment procedures.
If you own a shop or other business and you employ a family member or want to have a family member run your business is that wrong? If it is then why is it different to leaving your assets to your children?
The great thing about open markets is that if your child is a fool then they will lose the business and someone else who is competent will fill the gap in the market.
 
Purple said:
Average earnings have dropped by 0.5% per hour and 2.5% per week over the last 5 years due to people working fewer hours.
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That sounded too innocuous to me so I checked my net pay. Right enough my net pay is only down 0.5% on my pay 5 years ago (although I do more hours now), go back 7 years though (Jan 2008) and my current net pay is down 13% on that.
 
michaelm said:
That sounded too innocuous to me so I checked my net pay. Right enough my net pay is only down 0.5% on my pay 5 years ago (although I do more hours now), go back 7 years though (Jan 2008) and my current net pay is down 13% on that.
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Pay, not net pay. Tax rates are higher.
 
Purple said:
Pay, not net pay. Tax rates are higher.
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OK. It seemed clear that gillarosa was referring to net pay so I assumed your reply to them was too. Surely net pay is more relevant to people than gross pay. gillarosa referred to 8 years, arguably the bigger cuts were made before your narrower 5 year time-frame. Is it fair to assume that the average figure of a 2.5% earnings drop in gross income over 5 years takes no account of inflation and perhaps could be viewed as intended to be somewhat emollient?
 
My net pay is lower than it was in 2006. That's despite pay increases over that period.
As the state wastes more of my money they have to take more to fill that hole. That's the way taxation works in this country. If you want less taxation then get the government to waste less of your taxes.
 
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