Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
213. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress that has been made towards the Government's commitment to introduce a living wage for Irish workers by 2025. [20772/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to “progress to a living wage over the lifetime of the Government.”. Earlier this year, I formally requested the Low Pay Commission to prepare a report on this issue and terms of reference for the report have now been noted by Cabinet.
My Department, on behalf of the Low Pay Commission, is managing the tender process for researching and producing this report which will examine the design of a living wage in an Irish context.
The report will also consider the policy, social and economic implications of a move to a living wage and the process by which Ireland could progress towards a living wage.
It will do this by looking at international evidence on living wages, examining different calculation methods and examining the policy implications of moving to a living wage in Ireland.
The paper will conclude by outlining options for how Ireland can progress towards achieving a living wage. It is expected that the report will be completed in the second half of 2021. Following its completion, the Commission will submit the report to me for consideration.
