Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government talks about tackling low pay and improving the minimum wage but it seems even the currently inadequate minimum wage is being violated by companies through internship schemes. I have written to the Tánaiste and to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, about one such scheme in Creedon's Dog Care in Cork, which sees interns expected to work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. completely free for 60 days doing a mix of dog grooming and office work. They even want some of their interns to pay the company €300 for the experience. The law is clear on this. Work experience placements and internships must pay at least the national minimum wage. Any employer not paying is guilty of a criminal offence and could face up to six months in prison. Is this being enforced or is this the tip of the iceberg in terms of exploitation? Will the Tánaiste intervene and ensure action is taken to ensure interns are paid for the work they are doing? While the Tánaiste is at it, he might scrap JobBridge 2.0.

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