Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has said Ireland has the second highest minimum wage in Europe and that its future should be open to discussion.
The minister described SIPTU General President Jack O'Connor's claim that there were 'hawks' in the Department of Finance pursuing a slash and burn policy as polemic; he said the Cabinet remained united.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Mr Martin was responding to allegations that the cutting of the minimum wage was indecent.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said this evening he's against cuts to the minimum wage, because it would mean more people would end up on social welfare.
Mr Kenny said he was deeply concerned at the idea of social welfare cuts when so many other areas of public expenditure remain untouched and unreformed.
Yesterday, ICTU General Secretary David Begg described suggestions that the minimum wage could be reviewed as 'toxic'.
Speaking at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Mr Begg said there was no way he would tolerate any reduction.
The trade union leader added that things cannot be allowed get to the point where there is no 'threshold of decency' beyond which proposals will not go.
Fine Gael spokesman on Enterprise, Trade & Employment Leo Varadkar said he did not believe that the minimum wage was an obstacle to the provision of jobs.
The current minimum wage in Ireland is €8.65.
