Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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155. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the universal basic income pilot promised in the programme for Government; the timeline on the proposed pilot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43943/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government sets out a number of inter-related commitments under the “A New Social Contract” Mission.

This Mission includes the following initiatives that pertain to the work of the Low Pay Commission:

- Progress to a living wage over the lifetime of the Government

- Request the Low Pay Commission to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government.

Consideration is now being given to how best to progress the living wage and universal basic income initiatives. I recently met with the Low Pay Commission to discuss options for progressing these commitments including, as a first step, an examination and analysis of universal basic income pilots in other countries. When this examination is completed by the Commission, consideration will be given to how best we can develop and implement a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government.