The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000, came into operation on 1 April and it was estimated to benefit 163,000 employees. An ESRI study on the likely impact of the national minimum wage on employment, competitiveness and inflation did conclude that the effect of the minimum wage in raising wages, would lead to some increase in consumer prices in the services sector. The National Minimum Wage Act did have a significant impact on the earnings of apprentice hairdressers and, accordingly, some hairdressing salons may have chosen to increase their prices to take account of increased costs. It is a matter for each individual company to decide what prices it charges its customers. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specific price increase referred to by the Deputy, as the price increase is a commercial decision for the company concerned.
Since 1986 it has been the policy of successive Governments to promote greater competition and customer choice through, among other things, the mechanism of greater price transparency rather than through statutory price control.
