The National Youth Council of Ireland has criticised the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Mr Willie O'Dea, for his reservations about the introduction of a minimum wage of £4 an hour, writes Padraig Yeates. It has also criticised his suggestion that there might be a two-tier system of pay, with a lower rate for younger workers.
The council's director, Mr Peter Byrne, said yesterday that over 100,000 young people at work were in the low-pay bracket. He called on Mr O'Dea and the Government to allow the Minimum Wage Commission to examine the issue "without prior intervention from Ministers".