Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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39. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures taken by her Department to prevent breaches of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 in the hospitality sector; the further steps she plans to take; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22884/18]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is responsible for ensuring compliance with employment rights legislation generally, including the national minimum wage. Inspectors from the WRC routinely carry out inspections of employer records in all sectors of employment with a view to determining compliance with employment rights legislation. These inspections arise:

- In response to complaints received of alleged non-compliance with relevant employment rights legislation;

- As part of compliance campaigns which focus on compliance in specific sectors or specific pieces of legislation, or

- As routine inspections, which act as a control measure.

The WRC has in place a robust inspection regime to monitor compliance with employment law in all employment sectors, including the hospitality sector. In 2017 alone, over 700 inspections were undertaken in the hospitality sector.

It is also noteworthy that the vast majority of the 2,741 out of hours inspections conducted by WRC inspectors in 2017 were in the hospitality sector. It is my understanding also that the WRC plans to maintain this level of activity in the sector this year.

As a result of the focused inspection approach of the WRC inspectorate, a total of €1,769,484 in unpaid wages was recovered in 2017, of which over €550,000 was accounted for by the hotel and food and drink sectors.