Wage-setting Mechanisms
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-28
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Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire

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.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:52+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-28