The Social Protection Minister is today expected to call for wage growth for middle income and working families saying it's a necessary part of the recovery.

Joan Burton's comments come as 1,000 Labour Party members gather in Kerry for the annual conference.

Last night Eamon Gilmore declared Ireland would now be in a second bailout if Labour wasn't in Government.

1,000 days ago today, the Labour Party voted to go into coalition with Fine Gael.

The party's lost TDs, Senators and Councillors as well as public support and has only seen the tide begin to turn again in the last week with improving poll numbers.

And last night Eamon Gilmore told delegates that had Labour not taken those hard decisions, Ireland would now be entering a second bailout rather than leaving it, though he acknowledged there was a price:

Today the party looks to the future - a call for a living wage will come from Social Protection Minister Joan Burton

She'a also expected to acknowledge that Labour has yet to offer a solution to workers and families who face unprecedented threats to their living standards - and will call for a growth in wages which she says will be central to a real and lasting recovery.