Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government has prioritised the payment of wages Bill for this session. My party agrees with the proposal to outlaw tips being used to make up a person's basic pay. It is a fundamental issue. It is quite clear that tips are given by people as a gratuity, which should be paid above and beyond normal basic pay.

We also agree with the proposed requirement for employers to display their tips policy. The most basic requirement of the legislation should be to ensure that staff are the beneficiaries of all the money people give as tips and it does not go into any baseline profits for the restaurant or for the business. My question is, when will the Government introduce and advance this important legislation and will it ensure that the new payments of wages law requires every cent of the tip - 100% of it - be passed on to the employees, as is intended?

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