A part-time minimum wage job can take an Irish family with two children out of poverty.

That is according to the OECD, which says Ireland has the fourth highest minimum wage in the world.

"A half-time  (minimum wage) job in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom can be sufficient to take a family with two children out of poverty," it says.

But it also warns that "in most countries, a single full-time (minimum wage) job leaves two parent families below the poverty line and employment of both parents is needed to ensure that children do not grow up in poverty".

A recent OECD report puts us behind Australia, Luxembourg and Belgium in terms of hourly minimum wage - but above France, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

We also beat out many of our larger neighbours - including Germany, Canada the UK and the US.

Source: OECD

The rate, which is measured in US dollars per hour after taxes, varies dramatically. 

It goes from as much as 9.54 in Australia, all the way down to just 1.00 in Mexico.

The 'Minimum wages after the crisis' document says Irish workers are making an average of 8.46 an hour.

It comes as employment group IBEC said last month it was opposed to an increase in the national minimum wage.

It also said that the Irish economic recovery is still not benefiting all regions, and there are currently no cost of living pressures to justify an increase.