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

The Minister of State says we should not rush into a decision. It is two years since this Dáil passed a Bill that I brought forward to abolish these rates. The Government brought in a timed amendment to delay it for a year so the Low Pay Commission could report. The Low Pay Commission studied it with the ESRI study, as the Minister of State said, and it came out with clear recommendations. The Minister of State says he agrees with the commission that the Government needs to consider it. Does he agree with the commission's very clear recommendation that subminimum wage rates for employees of 18 and 19 years of age should be abolished no sooner than 1 January 2025? Similarly, the rates for those under 18 should also be abolished. The recommendation is absolutely clear. Is the Minister of State saying business costs are a consideration here? If he is, he is going against the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission, which make clear that would not stand up under EU law. The EU law on adequate minimum wages states that any exceptions need to have objective justification. Business costs and the Minister looking after low-paying employers does not count as an objective justification. He may well be in breach of the EU directive.

See this speech in context