Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The low pay commission will be asked to consider a range of matters in the context of making recommendations to me as Minister for business and employment on the rate of the national minimum wage on an annual basis. I am sure that will be one of the items the commission will consider when it is appointed.

To return to the concept of the living wage, it is an attractive concept and an issue on which we need to have a debate. I would welcome that debate and look forward to meeting with organisations such as the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice and the Nevin Institute, which have done considerable leg work and research on this issue. The Nevin Institute is on record as saying that if we are to have a living wage in this country, essentially it would be on a voluntary basis in the way it is in the UK and that any move in that direction would be done on an incremental basis.

I look forward to bringing a proposal to this House shortly on the establishment of the low pay commission and to working with all Members in ensuring that we get that body up and running as soon as possible and to make sure that it works.

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