Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)

First, will anybody in the JLC system be on lower pay? Will anybody have their pay reduced as a result of the Government's legislation? Second, will EROs no longer cover pay rates other than the minimum adult basic rate? Will the range of sub-minimum rates for adult workers included in the EROs be removed, leaving those to be covered by the sub-minimum rates in the national minimum wage legislation only? What will happen to the Sunday premium? Will it be part of the ERO or will it simply be enforceable under legislation, with people having to look after themselves? Will each ERO be subject to a once-off health check under which each JLC will submit a revised ERO made in accordance with new criteria that emphasise competitiveness and employment, as outlined in a Private Members' Bill by Deputy Varadkar when he was in Opposition?

Will derogation on grounds of inability to pay be on the same grounds as set out in section 41 of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000, or will the criteria mirror the inability-to-pay provisions in national wage agreements, which are far less restrictive and which were used widely by companies during the 1987 to 2009 social partnership era? The latter model will totally undermine the very basis of EROs, which is to prevent firms from competing with each other on labour costs. Another thing to look out for is this: will the criteria to be taken into account in making new EROs include an international competitive dimension by specifying average levels of pay set in comparable sectors in Ireland's main trading partners? If the answer to some or most of those questions is "Yes", it will be the Fine Gael version of JLCs that we will see.

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