Tánaiste warns that state will not fund living wage top-up

A State top-up to bring all workers up to the living wage would not be advisable and would be very costly for taxpayers, the Tánaiste has warned.

The Labour party are encouraging private companies to pay workers the living wage and have promised that if the party are re-elected to Government, they will ensure that the State and all public bodies become living wage employers.

However, yesterday Joan Burton said that she did not favour a State-funded top-up to low-paid workers as it could hike up taxes for ordinary workers.