The parish priest of one of the country's most socially deprived
parishes has described the recent government proposals to cut the
minimum wage by €1 as “obnoxious.”
Limerick city South Hill parish priest, Fr Pat Hogan, said that the
government's decision to cut the minimum wage from €8.65 per hour to
€7.65 per hour under its Recovery Plan to rescue the Irish economy, “is
yet again targeting the wrong people.”
Fr Hogan claimed that, “Only two per cent of the workforce in Ireland
is on the minimum wage and not only will this group be facing a 12 per
cent cut but those in and around the minimum wage will see their pay
reduced as well.”
“I agree we need a new conversation on social welfare, given the huge
budget deficit in Ireland, but it was terrible to listen to Ministers
getting €200,000 a year defending this cut in the media when it is those
Ministers who are responsible for the state that the country is in at
the moment”.
He added, “The way these people speak about people on the lowest incomes is just obnoxious.”
Fr Hogan's comments came just moments after he encouraged the
government not to abandon its regeneration policy for Limerick City.
Last summer, he claimed, the people of South Hill needed the hope
that comes with the Regeneration project claiming that “however slowly
it comes it is needed for the people of Limerick city.”
SIC: CIN/IE