Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Following the coming into effect of the Labour Affairs and Labour Law (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 on 1st September last, responsibility for employment rights policy and legislation transferred to my colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Ireland has a comprehensive suite of employment rights legislation which provides strong protections including measures to prevent exploitation in the workplace. All employers, including those in the private homecare sector, carry the same obligations in relation to compliance with employment law.  Where an individual believes they are being deprived of employment rights applicable to employees they may refer a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) where the matter can be dealt with by way of mediation or adjudication leading to a decision that is enforceable through the District Court. WRC inspectors can also be asked to investigate certain breaches. Complaints can be made on a single complaint form available at the WRC’s website www.workplacerelations.ie.

On 2nd May last, the Government approved legislative proposals in response to the commitment in the Programme for Government to address the problems caused by the increased casualization of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious employment. The draft proposals aim to address key issues which have been identified as being areas where current employment rights legislation can be strengthened to the benefit of employees, particularly low-paid, more vulnerable workers, without imposing unnecessarily onerous burdens on employers and businesses.

It will now fall to my colleague the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to progress this legislation. In this respect, I understand that officials in her Department are working closely with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel on the drafting of this legislation and it is intended to publish this Bill in the Autumn session, subject to Government approval.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce poverty levels by supporting an increase in the national minimum wage to €10.50 per hour by 2021 and the Government will rely on the annual recommendations of the Low Pay Commission on the level of adjustment to the rate each year.  The Commission submitted its third recommendation to Government in July this year. The recommendation is that the rate increase by 30 cents per hour from €9.25 to €9.55 for an adult worker. The Government will consider the recommendation in the context of Budget 2018 and, if it accepts it, the increase is likely to come into effect on 1st January 2018.

Finally, responsibility for health policy and the HSE is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health.