It will cost €6.6bn to remove private healthcare from public hospitals — but there is no information in an independent review group report on how this bill will be paid.

The Irish Medical Organisation says there is no evidence that capacity or waiting lists will improve by banning private patients from public hospitals.

Raising the minimum wage closed the hourly pay gap between high and low earners, but had no strong impact on household incomes, according to a new report.

Latest: The Minister for Health, Simon Harris, has criticised the failure of some hospital consultants to comply with their contracts.

A performance and oversight board to monitor the HSE should be in place next year once the necessary legislation is in place, according to the health minister.

Latest: Experts are warning that freezing property tax could discredit the whole system.

With income tax we are dangerously out of kilter with the tax norms of countries we want to emulate, writes Gerard Howlin

The Low Pay Commission is to investigate whether it is appropriate for young people to continue to be paid a lower minimum wage than the rest of the workforce simply because of their age.

Wage increases for the lower paid have been flagged for the new year, with more than 122,500 workers set to benefit after the Government indicated that it will back a recommendation by the Low Pay Commission.

The Government will set a new minimum wage before the budget.

The creation of a living wage — above the minimum wage — is set to come on the national agenda, the head of the Low Pay Commission told Oireachtas members.

THE head of the civil service believes the private sector provides a clear and attractive option for the recruitment of skilled personnel for top-level posts with the service.

THE vast majority of civil and public servants were yesterday cleared to receive the next stage of their benchmarking payments in January.

The second round of benchmarking payments are due to go ahead from January 1 after the Civil Service Performance Verification Group (CSPVG) approved all increases under its remit.

OLD-AGE pensioners should pay more income tax, the Dublin Economic Workshop in Kenmare was told over the weekend.