The Payment of Wages Act 1991 and the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 provide protections for employees in relation to the payment of wages. In addition, the Workplace Relations Act 2015 introduced provisions on Fixed Payment Notices and Compliance Notices covering certain breaches of legislation, including breaches of certain sections of the above-mentioned 1991 and 2000 Acts.
There are a range of provisions which can apply in circumstances where the appropriate wages have not been made to an employee. For example, an employee can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) under the 1991 Act for the hearing of a case by a WRC Adjudication Officer who can award compensation for the non-payment of wages. A WRC Inspector can also issue a Compliance Notice where an employer has failed to pay the appropriate wages under the 1991 Act, and non-compliance with the Compliance Notice is an offence.
An individual who considers that they are not being paid in accordance with the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 may refer the matter to a WRC Inspector for investigation or, alternatively, may refer a complaint to the WRC for adjudication by an Adjudication Officer and the awarding of redress. The 2000 Act also provides for a number of criminal offences, ranging from the failure to pay the statutory rate to the obstruction of Inspectors in the exercise of their functions.
If the Deputy has more specific questions or has a particular case in mind, I would refer her to the WRC who are mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. The WRC's Customer Service Section provides information to both employers and employees in relation to employment, equality and industrial relations rights and obligations. The WRC's Customer Service Section can be contacted at Lo-call: 1890 80 80 90 or 059-9178990. The website www.workplacerelations.ie also provides extensive information on employment rights.