Results 1-20 of 1,045,721 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Paul Murphy)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: I will probably not take all the time as Deputy O'Reilly already asked many of the questions I was going to ask. When did the Minister request the economic impact assessment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: When was that? What was the approximate date?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: Can Ms Pyke give the committee an approximate date?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: Six months later the Department is starting the work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: Will Ms Pyke give the committee an outline of the terms of reference of the economic impact assessment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: The Department stated that an outside agency is doing this work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: Who is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: It has the contract.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: The Department hopes to have a report within six months.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: It seems like a long time, does it not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: The upcoming EU directive on minimum wages was mentioned. It is interesting how the Department actually referred to it in its submission for this morning: "The Directive does not prohibit the use of sub-minimum rates but requires Member States to ensure the objective justification of these rates." Would I be correct in saying there is implied support for prohibiting sub-minimum rates in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: It was put to us at one stage that since a certain amount of training is involved when a young person joins a company or becomes employed, that person will not be as productive as somebody who is fully trained or who has more experience and therefore should not be paid the same wage. We were asked whether, if such young people are being trained, we should consider using the National Training...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: Particularly if there is a training element involved in employing young people, as discussed earlier, maybe the fund could be considered. Is that something the Department would favour, or must it wait six months for the Indecon report to come about?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: I agree with Mr. Coates. I have met representatives of many firms that are peeved that the money is accumulating in the fund they are paying into and not being used to their benefit or that of trainees or anybody else. I have a final question. To the best of the Department's knowledge, is the fund being used for anything at the moment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

David Stanton: It has also been said to me by employers that apprentices who go on block release are paid but not actually producing anything. That is another element.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Paul Murphy: I thank the witnesses for the statements and the discussion so far. I want to go back over the timeline of the Bill. It was introduced in 2022 and was debated on Second Stage in June 2023. At that stage, the Government moved a timed amendment to, in effect, kick the can down the road for a year. The argument for that was, and I quote the Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond: To cut...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Paul Murphy: I thank Mr. Smyth. I am not blaming him personally. In terms of his Department, it is a decision for the Minister. There is a Bill before this committee which has passed Second Stage in the Dáil. It is a matter for the Dáil in terms of this Bill. The Government could get rid of the sub-minimum wage rates tomorrow. It should do that in the budget, but we can proceed with this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Paul Murphy: Ms Pyke will accept that the Low Pay Commission looked at previous evidence of early school leaving, hours and all the things she is saying. The Low Pay Commission looked at those things and considered them. She can respond to that. The second question is whether this economic impact assessment will look at the impact of sub-minimum wage rates in exerting downward pressure on the wages of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Paul Murphy: Will it look at wage rates?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Paul Murphy: I will say again, and this is not a personal criticism, that I find that the main thing the witnesses are telling us today is to hold off on this because an economic impact assessment is coming. However, they did not bring the terms of reference with them. They are not able to detail them. That is not all that satisfactory for us because they are asking us to hold off on proceeding with...