Brian Keegan: How do you fund services without raising taxes? You can raise wages

A wage increase would generate hundreds of millions of euro in tax yield without much political or social pushback

A general wage increase would not be a rising tide that lifts all boats, but what might be lost on the roundabouts could be gained on the swings. Picture: Getty

Are wages in Ireland really too low? It would appear the emerging consensus is that they are.

There have been recent debates in the Dáil over the level of the national minimum wage. Trade unions are signalling the need to achieve increases in pay in the order of 5 per cent or more. Even President Michael D Higgins has engaged in the discussions, with his observation last week at the Siptu Biennial Conference that we ...