With inflation soaring, how Ireland  defines a living wage is crucial

A living wage must be calculated on the minimum required for a single adult working full-time to meet the basics

The food budget for 2021 for a full-grown adult was €47 a week, less than €7 a day. Picture: iStock

The government have recently announced plans to introduce a ‘living wage’, though they seem to have redefined the concept.

The minimum wage is currently €10.50. The government’s ‘living wage’ hourly rate was recently announced as €12.17, set at 60% of median hourly earnings, with a vague plan (‘depending on economic circumstances’) to bring it in over the next few years.