I propose to answer Questions Nos. 6 and 30 together.
A copy of the document to which the Deputies refer —"EC Commission White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment — Contribution by Ireland"— was circulated to all Deputies early last October. In a reply to a question by Deputy Hogan on 23 November 1993 — Official Report, columns 62 and 63 — I outlined the main features of this document.
A short section in the Irish Government's submission dealt with the question of minimum wages and included a proposal that the Commission's White Paper "should report the implications for total employment of minimum wage policies operating in the Community". This proposal and the section which preceded it reflect the Government's concern to establish whether the existence of minimum wage legislation in the member states of the European Union affects employment prospects in general and particularly for first job-seekers and the low-skilled.