Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Further, the minimum wage in Ireland is relatively high by international standards. The most recent figures published by EUROSTAT show that Ireland's rate is the fifth highest among the 22 EU member states that have a minimum wage. When the cost of living is taken into account, Ireland's rate is the sixth highest. It must be remembered that in the global competition for foreign direct investment and for the highest quality talent, it is a positive and not a negative attribute that Ireland is able to attract high paying sectors and highly talented and highly paid individuals. The Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, outlined the success of Enterprise Ireland and the IDA in generating a high percentage of well-paid jobs. Many countries with much lower average earnings than Ireland would wish to replicate Ireland's success in this regard.

Sinn Féin also claims that Ireland has failed to fully transpose the EU directive on part-time work. This is not the case. The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 and associated codes of practice have implemented the directive in Irish law. The directive builds on a framework agreement on part-time work that was concluded by the European social partners. The purpose of the framework agreement was to eliminate discrimination against part-time employees, improve the quality of part-tune work, facilitate the development of part-time work on a voluntary basis and contribute to the flexible organisation of working time in a manner which takes into account the needs of employers and employees. Both IBEC and ICTU were involved in the process of drafting the directive's framework agreement at European level through the European social partner organisations. At national level, my Department, ICTU, IBEC and other relevant Departments established a group to consider the measures necessary for implementing the Directive in Ireland. Our legislation sets out considerable protection for part-time employees, including the general requirement that a part-time employee must not be treated in a less favourable manner in respect of his or her conditions of employment than a full time employee. I assure the House that Ireland has met its responsibilities in transposing EU Council directive on part-time work into national law.

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