The national minimum wage can only be increased following a recommendation contained in a national agreement or, where no national agreement is in place, any organisation which the Labour Court is satisfied is substantially representative of employees or employers can request the Labour Court to examine the national minimum hourly rate of pay, not earlier than 12 months after the Minister last declared a national minimum hourly rate of pay. The Labour Court can then make a recommendation to the Minister.
In the current national agreement, Sustaining Progress, the social partners recommended that the national minimum wage be increased to €7. I accepted this recommendation and signed an order which gave effect to this rate from 1 February 2004.
In the context of discussions with the social partners at national level it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the views of any of the social partners on this issue.