Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:35. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the work of the Working Group on the Living Wage. [18807/22]
View answerThursday, 7 April 2022
Questions (35)
Written answers
The Government has been clear in its belief that a legacy of the pandemic must be better pay, terms and conditions for everyone, but particularly for those on low pay. We are committed, therefore, to honouring the Programme for Government commitment to progressing to a living wage over the lifetime of this Government. In doing so, we need to recognise that many businesses have been badly affected by the pandemic and are struggling to pay existing wages. We need to make sure that we proceed in a way that does not cause jobs to be lost in terms of the numbers of people employed, or would see employees having their hours cut. To do so would be counterproductive.
In 2021, I asked the Low Pay Commission to examine the Programme for Government commitment and to make recommendations on the best approach to progressing to a living wage over the lifetime of the Government.
The Low Pay Commission commissioned a team of researchers at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth to conduct supporting research on the concept of a living wage. Terms of Reference for this research were noted by Cabinet in 2021. During its deliberations on the progression to a living wage the Low Pay Commission also met with both employee and employer representatives.
In the last week, the Low Pay Commission submitted its report on the living wage. Along with my officials, I will review the Commission’s report and recommendations. I will also consider the next steps required in the progression to a living wage, such as the publication of the Commission’s report and the accompanying research report, and consultation on the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations.