Low pay commission
Deputy Gerry Adams asks when the low pay commission will be established and whether the Government supports a living wage. The Taoiseach says consultation, terms of reference and transparent analysis must precede its establishment.
Tá dhá cheist agam. I want to ask the Taoiseach about the proposed low pay commission. The hourly minimum wage, which is €6 for those under the age of 18 and €8.65 for experienced adult workers, has not increased since 2007. Over 300,000 workers are earning less than the living wage of €11.45 an hour. When does the Taoiseach expect the necessary legislation to be published? When does he expect the low pay commission to be established? Does the Government support the creation of a living wage for workers?
Last week, the Taoiseach promised to write to me on an issue I had raised regarding the status of the Palestinian mission and the need for it to be accorded embassy status under the 1961 Vienna Convention. The Taoiseach has not written to me at all on this matter. Can he tell me whether the Government is prepared to give the Palestinian mission the embassy status it warrants under the Vienna Convention?
Comment on this
The Government has decided to set up a low pay commission. There is a structure and a process to be followed here. There will have to be consultation, terms of reference will have to be set out and a determination will have to be made on how the commission will do its job. This is important. It used to be the case that the Government of the day would receive a recommendation from those involved in the social partnership process about a figure, arbitrary or otherwise. It is important that there is proper and comprehensive analysis, discussion, negotiation and transparency in this regard. I cannot give the Deputy a date for when it will be up and running and when it will actually report. It will be driven by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Minister of State with responsibility for business and employment. The Bill will eventually be taken through the House by the Minister of State, Deputy Nash. I would like to make it clear in response to the Deputy's question about a living wage that we want to create more jobs that pay people enough money to show the difference between working and not working. The fact that 70,000 jobs have been created in the last 12 months speaks for itself.
I will write to Deputy Adams about the Palestinian convention.