Elaine Loughlin: Proposed increases for low-paid workers amount to wages of spin

Increasing the minimum wage and fully adopting the living wage are not one and the same thing, contrary to what Mr Varadkar and the rest of the Government might want us all to believe

Elaine Loughlin: Tinkering with the current rates over four years, which is essentially what the Government is now proposing, is not providing a living wage, it is just an increase to the current minimum wage.

The Government's move to increase wages for the lowest-paid workers is to be welcomed and commended, but it is simply inaccurate to claim it equates to giving people a living wage.

Last week, Leo Varadkar delivered a masterclass in marketing and spin with his announcement on the living wage.