David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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945. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he accepts the majority report of the finding of the second report of the low pay commission that sufficient data was not yet available to assess the impact of the increase of 50 cent per hour in the minimum wage from 1 January 2016, in terms of employment or on hours worked; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26944/16]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I received the Second Report of the Low Pay Commission on the appropriate rate of the National Minimum Wage on 19 July 2016. The Commission indicated in its Report that sufficient data was not yet available to assess the impact of the increase of 50 cents per hour in the minimum wage from 1 January last, in terms of employment or on hours worked. The Commission’s Report includes two minority statements from three members of the Commission. One of these statements indicates that during the course of the Commission’s work, several submissions made to it – both verbal and written – had raised the issue of the workers hours being reduced by employers as a result of the increase in the minimum wage.

The Commission’s Report (which includes the minority statements) and the written submissions received by the Commission are available to view on the Low Pay Commission website www.lowpaycommission.ie

A decision on the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission will be made in the context of Budget 2017.