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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

National Minimum Wage Bill

Summary

Deputy Tóibín supports the Bill but objects to rushing it through, citing low pay, precarious employment and numerous amendments. The Tánaiste stresses the Bill’s importance and the need to enact it soon.

The National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015 is an important Bill which both the Tánaiste and I want to see delivered upon. Ireland has suffered massively in the last number of years with regard to low pay, which has become entrenched. There is a precariat in society consisting of those who cannot get proper employment or, at least, the hours they need to support their families. I have proposed a large number of amendments to the Bill, as have other Members. We are coming towards the end of the term and there is a shovelling through of legislation. Not enough space is available to give to the debate, with the result that we will have deficient legislation. I ask that more time be provided to discuss the Bill and, as such, I cannot agree with the proposal to deal with No. 38.

Comment on this

I am glad the Deputy is supportive of the Bill, which is incredibly important to people on low pay. As Tánaiste, I am delighted that I have focused particularly in the House on the establishment of the Low Pay Commission and getting the work on precarious hours up and running. We expect the Low Pay Commission report and the report of the University of Limerick on precarious pay and zero-hour contracts to be available to us fairly shortly. We need to get the Bill through, notwithstanding the Deputy's interest and contribution to the debate. The contributions of Members have been very valuable. We have had a great deal of debate on the Bill. There was repeated discussion and debate on some of the amendments, which used up a lot of time that might properly have been devoted to Deputy Tóibín's amendment. That is how the House addressed how the amendments were dealt with. As we expect that the Low Pay Commission will release its report shortly, I want to see the legislation being passed. Notwithstanding the Deputy's support for the Bill and his contribution to the debate, as well as the valuable contributions of others, we need to get the legislation into law so that we can proceed to implement improvements in the statutory minimum wage in Ireland and move to a living wage. That is the big picture. While I appreciate the Deputy's problems with regard to his own amendments, we should look at the big picture and how the Bill will help people on low pay if we get it dealt with today.

Comment on this
Division Carried

Question put: "That the proposal for dealing with No. 38 be agreed to."

Tá 62
·
Níl 33

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