Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of employees within his Department in receipt of a salary below the living wage of €11.70 per hour. [20620/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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There are 17 officers in my Department whose hourly rate is below €11.70 and no staff in my Department are paid less than the National Minimum Wage.

It is important that Ireland’s statutory National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage concept are not confused. The Living Wage is a voluntary societal initiative centred on the social, business and economic case to ensure that, wherever it can be afforded, employers will pay a rate of pay that provides an income that is sufficient to meet an individual’s basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, transport and healthcare. The Living Wage is voluntary and has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement.

The National Minimum Wage is a statutory entitlement and has a legislative basis. The Low Pay Commission annually assesses the appropriate level of the National Minimum Wage. The current national minimum hourly rate of pay is €9.55 per hour.