Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 11 introduces a number of specific tasks which the commission would be required to undertake as part of its functions to monitor the incidence of low pay by examining the prevalence of pay two thirds or below of median earnings, key patterns in paid and unpaid open market internships and the effectiveness of existing policies to enforce the national minimum wage.

Section 5 of the Bill introduces a new section 10C(4) which provides that the commission may be requested by the Minister to examine and report on such matters, related generally to the functions of the commission under the Act. The Bill provides that requests shall be made not later than the first two months of each year, apart from this year, and will be part of the commission's work programme. I believe that the legislative provision covering the work programme to be given to the commission each year should not be prescriptive or in any way inflexible.

The amendment would tie the hands of the commission in regard to its annual work programme. As specific issues related to the work of the commission arise, a request can be made to the commission to examine and report on the matter.

The specific topics raised in the amendment may well be worthy of examination by the Low Pay Commission at some point, but I do not believe it is appropriate to set them down in legislation. Accordingly, I cannot accept the recommendation.