16 Sep 2013, 15:23
Representatives from Mandate Trade Union and the Restaurants Association of Ireland will appear before the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation tomorrow, Tuesday, 17th September 2013.
Gerry Light, Assistant Secretary General, Mandate Trade Union, will discuss Mandate’s report Decent Work? The Impact of the Recession on Low Paid Workers, while Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, will give a presentation on the importance of the retention of the 9% Vat rate in creating and maintaining of jobs in the tourism and restaurant sector.
Committee Chairman Damien English TD said: “Tomorrow we will hear from Mandate on its ‘Decent Work’ campaign. While it is important that we put in place strategies to stimulate the economy and create jobs, it is important that we ensure those jobs are sustainable and provide people with a reasonable standard of living. Mandate’s study ‘Decent Work? The Impact of the Recession on Low Paid Workers’ outlines in stark reality the devastating impact precarious work is having on certain groups of workers. We’re looking forward to hearing from Mandate and discussing the policies it feels are necessary to ensure that the jobs that are being created also provide a reasonable standard of living and level of economic independence.
“The creation of jobs will also be the focus of our meeting with the Restaurants Association of Ireland which is campaigning for the retention and extension of the VAT rate on food and tourism services at 9%. Since the VAT cut in 2011, employment in the restaurant/tourism sector increased by approximately 9000 and this growth will continue with an additional 5,000 jobs to be created over the next 12 months if VAT at 9% remains in effect, according to the Restaurants Association. Committee members will have an opportunity to discuss the campaign in more detail with representatives from the association.”
This meeting will take place in Committee Room 2 at 2pm on Tuesday, 17th September 2013.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here:
Media enquiries to:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
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Committee Membership
Deputies: Dara Calleary (FF), Áine Collins (FG), Michael Conaghan (LAB) Damien English (FG) (Chairman), Tom Fleming (IND), Seán Kyne (FG), Anthony Lawlor (FG), John Lyons (LAB) (Vice-Chairman) Peadar Tóibín (SF).
Senators: Deirdre Clune (FG), David Cullinane (SF), John Kelly (LAB), Michael Mullins (FG), Feargal Quinn (Ind), Mary White (FF).