Thomas Gould
Ceist:98. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to progress a living wage. [43800/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 15 September 2021
Ceisteanna (98)
Freagraí scríofa
The current Programme for Government makes the commitment to “progress to a living wage over the lifetime of the Government”.
Earlier this year I asked the Low Pay Commission to examine this commitment and to make recommendations on the best approach to achieving it within the lifetime of the Government.
The Low Pay Commission has commissioned supporting research on the living wage. Terms of Reference for this research were noted by Cabinet earlier this year. The Commission intends to provide a report to me on the issues surrounding the progression to a living wage later this year.
The report will 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 a living wage.
I look forward to receiving the Low Pay Commission’s report later this year. Their report will inform Government on the best practical approach to progress to a living wage in Ireland.
The current Programme for Government also commits to the Government continuing to be guided by the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission with regard to any future changes in the minimum wage. We will continue to do this while the living wage initiative is being considered.
The minimum wage was established in 2000 at £4.40 (€5.58). Since then it has risen to €10.20.
In every year since its founding in 2015, the Low Pay Commission has recommended an increase in the minimum wage and these recommendations have always been accepted and implemented by the Government.