Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I advised the Deputy in June, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to request the Low Pay Commission to examine universal basic income, UBI, informed by a review of pilots that have happened around the world that would also advise us on how we would carry out UBI pilot here in Ireland during the lifetime of the Government.

The Low Pay Commission is currently examining this issue and has commissioned the ESRI to conduct technical background research on the issues that would arise from the introduction of UBI and how that pilot might be designed for Ireland. The research has been commissioned under the terms of the Low Pay Commission/ESRI Research Partnership Agreement. This partnership delivers high quality research on issues impacting on the national minimum wage and low pay in Ireland.

This background research will inform the Low Pay Commission’s findings on universal basic income and their recommendations for the design of a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government.

I expect to receive the report of the Low Pay Commission before the end of the year and I will examine its findings and recommendations and publish the report thereafter.

See this speech in context