2026-04-28

153. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will introduce legislation to raise the minimum wage for workers under the age of 20 and for apprentices in their first two years so that they will be at parity with other workers. [30429/26]

There is a film called "No Country for Old Men". This is no country for young people because the Minister discriminates against them in their entitlement to the minimum wage. People aged under 20 get paid either 90% of the minimum wage, 80% of it or sometimes as low as 70%. Apprentices, who we need a lot more of to help us to build the houses we need in this country, also earn less than the minimum wage in their first and second years, so it is hardly an incentive for young people to stay in this country. I ask the Minister to ensure that whether a person is a first or second year apprentice, he or she will get at least the minimum wage and that, similarly for those aged under 20, these discriminatory rates of minimum wages will be got rid of and that young people will be entitled to the full minimum wage.

I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for his question. We are very clear we want to see real wage growth in the economy. We saw from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, index in December that all 13 sectors of the economy are growing, but critically, we are seeing real wage growth. I know that will be a challenge across 2026. I note the Deputy's concerns about the subminimum rates but we were very clear in our concerns for small businesses, for corner shops and for that developmental piece in terms of the early years of one's career when young people get experience. I am particularly thinking of our corner shops and the potential imposition that a 30% uplift in costs would put on them, really threatening their viability. We also have to be careful of any unintended consequences of these decisions on third level education. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, is working on an action plan for apprenticeships and that is key. The Deputy raised a very valid point about making apprenticeships attractive and ensuring we are bringing in skills that are critical for the construction sector and for trades, some of which are exceptional in terms of the career pathway they offer. Critically, as a Government, we have brought parity of esteem to third level education and apprenticeships in the Central Applications Office, CAO, process, which was a very strong signal from the Government. We put forward an amendment to the motion earlier to detail the huge improvement we have seen in workers' rights in this country, from improved agility in remote working to the trajectory towards a living wage, the different schemes to support workers, the tips legislation, the ban on zero-hour contracts and the right to disconnect. There are so many different areas we have made progress on. I am thinking particularly of the action plan for collective bargaining, which we brought in ahead of schedule. I gave that commitment despite what happened with the ECJ case. Again, that gives us a good pathway for continued improvements in workers' rights.

Deputy Boyd Barrett has 30 seconds. We do not want to go over time.

Okay. The Minister seems a bit more sympathetic on the apprentices, but will he do something about it? The higher education committee recommended it in a report. It is ridiculous. We desperately need qualified apprentices in the trades in particular but also in many areas of the economy. For first- and second-year apprentices to be paid either €7.67 in their first year or €11.50 in their second year is pathetic. Many of them are in their early 20s. Some of them are paying rent or have families. They need to be paid properly. I disagree with the Minister on young people. Corner shops or anything else should not be based on exploiting young people who should be paid the minimum wage.

To be fair, I do not think they are exploiting young people. In the many communities that have small shops, they really provide a service to the community and provide a huge resource, especially socially, to so many villages right across the country. On apprenticeships, I absolutely think we have a lot of room for improvement. We are working on the action plan with the Department of the Minister, Deputy Lawless, to improve conditions and to make apprenticeships more viable career choices. Those are the skills of the future that a growing and dynamic economy needs. I am happy to work with the Deputy in that regard.