Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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555.To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated number of workers who will benefit from the third step in moving towards the living wage in 2025; and the number of workers who will benefit from the fourth and final step in moving towards the living wage in 2026. [31791/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the current National Minimum Wage is €12.70 per hour, which represents €1.40 increase, or 12.4%, on the 2023 rate of €11.30 per hour. This increase, which took effect on 1^stJanuary 2024, was considered the second increase on the path towards reaching a living wage of 60% of the median wage.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has informed me that in Q1 2024 there were 190,300 employees who reported that they earned the National Minimum Wage, with a further 45,700 reporting that they earned less than the National Minimum Wage of €12.70. The total number of employees in Q1 2024 was 2,337,400. A combined total of 236,000 employees reported that they earned the National Minimum Wage or less. This represents 10.6% of the total, excluding those recorded as ‘not stated’. Employees can earn less than the National Minimum Wage if they are among groups exempted by the National Minimum Wage Acts or if they are paid sub-minimum (youth) rates of the National Minimum Wage.

It is not possible to estimate the number of workers who will be in receipt of the minimum wage in future years as this is contingent on the future development of the labour market and any further changes in the National Minimum Wage.

Under the National Minimum Wages Acts the Low Pay Commission is required to make a recommendation on the National Minimum Wage by the third Tuesday of July each year.

The Low Pay Commission submitted their recommendation for the 2025 National Minimum Wage to me last week.

Government will make a decision on the appropriate rate of the 2025 National Minimum Wage later in the year.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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556.To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the current living wage as calculated by the Government’s formula at 60% of the median wage for 2024; what this works out at per year; what it works out at per hour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31792/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, in 2021 the Low Pay Commission was asked to examine the Programme for Government commitment to progress to a living wage and provide recommendations on how best to achieve this commitment.

The Low Pay Commission’s recommendations were received and considered and in November 2022, Government agreed that a national living wage would be introduced and set at 60% of hourly median wages, in line with the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission. The Government announced that this would be achieved by incremental adjustment to the National Minimum Wage.

The introduction of a living wage is an important step Government is taking towards eradicating low-wage employment for all workers.

In their 2023 Annual Report the Low Pay Commission estimated that the indicative National Living Wage for 2024, calculated at 60% of median hourly wages, would be €13.82 per hour.

A notional employee earning this indicative living wage and working a 39-hour week would earn a notional gross weekly wage of €539, or a €28,027 gross notional annual salary.

The Low Pay Commission submitted their recommendation for the 2025 National Minimum Wage to me last week.

The Low Pay Commission’s report, which will be published in due course, includes revised estimates of the median wage in 2024, using the most up-to-date data and data sources available to them.

Government will make a decision and announcement on the 2025 National Minimum Wage later this year.