Sir, – I see that Minister for Housing Simon Coveney is to subsidise the rent of "key workers" to keep them in the city centre ("Key city workers to have income assessed for 'affordable rental'", December 29th).
It has now reached the stage where low-income “key” workers not only cannot afford to buy a home, but cannot afford to rent one either.
This is as a result of relentless downward pressure on pay, and wages on which workers can barely survive, let alone live comfortably.
General taxpayers already subsidise these workers, through supplementary social assistance benefits.
Although these people work every day, they are not earning enough money to provide for their families.
It seems to me that some employers are being helped by my taxes and yours to run companies and enterprises that only benefit themselves, while the rest of society supplements the shortfall for their employees.
That is not a good way to govern. We need a fairer distribution of resources and more dignity for workers.
– Yours, etc,
SHEILA DEEGAN
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.