Watch: Cork Opposition TD outlines what he would like to see announced in the budget

With the backdrop of Covid-19 and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit looming, the eyes of the nation will be on Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe as he announces the details of Budget 2021 on Tuesday.

This week, the Government announced that it plans to increase the minimum wage in January by 10c.

Commenting on Tuesday, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said:

"Since 2016, the national minimum wage has increased from €8.65 per hour to its current rate of €10.10. 

"Today, Government approved a further increase to €10.20 which will come into effect on 1st January 2021. 

"This will benefit 122,000 low-paid workers."

In a video, Solidarity TD Mick Barry has said the increase is not sufficient.

"[In] next week’s budget, the Government are planning to increase the minimum wage by 10c an hour – that’s an increase of less than 1%.

"Low paid workers were among the heroes of the lockdown. 

"How could this country have gotten through the lockdown if it wasn’t for the retail workers, if it wasn’t for the cleaners, the people who deliver your pizzas? 

"As far as the Government is concerned, they’re worth an increase of less than 1%," he said.

"I’m in favour of increasing the minimum wage to €15 an hour," the Cork North Central TD added.

He also called for private hospitals to be nationalised, the reversal of the cuts to the Pandemic Unemployment Pay (PUP), the reintroduction of the blanket ban on evictions and the extension of the mortgage moratorium.