Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Senators will be conscious that the establishment of a Low Pay Commission is just one element in a suite of measures I am in the process of introducing as part of the employment rights and dignity at work agenda and Government efforts to ensure decent, sustainable employment. Section 4 sets out the clear objectives of the national minimum wage, which is designed to assist as many low paid workers as is reasonably practicable. The minimum wage is set at a rate that is fair and sustainable and where adjustment is appropriate, it is adjusted incrementally. It has progressively increased over time without creating significant adverse consequences for employment and competitiveness. I have no hesitation in stating again that I want the national minimum wage to be progressively increased where economic circumstances, the demands of job creation and social conditions and requirements converge. I also want better working conditions and improved pay, especially for low paid workers, because society would benefit from any such development. The Low Pay Commission will assist in providing the institutional framework to ensure this occurs. The objective of ensuring that workers are entitled to just and favourable remuneration is clearly built into the criteria that will guide the commission in making a recommendation to me on the appropriate level of the minimum wage. For this reason, I cannot accept the amendment.