Bruton rules out minimum wage increase

Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton has ruled out any plans to raise the minimum wage.

Minister Bruton said he has no intention of increasing the rate of €8.65 per hour, despite calls from his Cabinet colleague Joan Burton, Minister for Social Welfare, to consider an increase.

Mark Fielding of business group ISME says higher wages would scare off potential investors.

"If we talk about increasing the minimum wage, all it does is increase costs at a time when we are struggling to get out of a recession," Mr Fielding said.

"It's a bad time to be saying it (and) it will cause businesses to hold back on their investment as they are worried about an increase in wages and that's a base cost that they are going to have to stomach."