122,000 workers in Ireland are set to benefit from the increase.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has confirmed that the minimum wage in Ireland will increase by 10 cents per hour to €10.20 per hour from next year.
The increase will come into effect from 1 January 2021, while two reports by the Low Pay Commission in relation to the minimum wage in Ireland will also soon be published.
The Department claims that 122,000 workers in Ireland will benefit from the increase; the minimum wage that will be in effect from next year will have increased by €1.55 per hour since 2016, when it stood at €8.65 per hour.
The new minimum wage still falls over €2 per hour short of the living wage of €12.30 per hour, a wage which the Living Wage Technical Group says makes possible a minimum acceptable standard of living in Ireland.
Commenting on the decision to increase the minimum wage, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said: “Since 2016, the national minimum wage has increased from €8.65 per hour to its current rate of €10.10. Today, Government approved a further increase to €10.20 which will come into effect on 1 January 2021. This will benefit 122,000 low-paid workers.
“I also want to ensure that the increase in the minimum wage does not result in employers having to pay a higher level of PRSI charge solely due to this increase. I will make regulations that will increase the employer PRSI threshold from €395 currently to €398 from 1 January 2021.”
“The Low Pay Commission plays an important role in improving data collection on low paid and minimum wage workers and developing a strong research base on issues surrounding the minimum wage,” Humphreys added.
“I would like to thank the membership of the Commission for their work this year, as well as the work it has carried out since its foundation.”
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