The Minimum Wage in Ireland has not risen since 2007 but it is due to be increased in January 2016. (See Details of New 2016 Rates Here)
These are the current minimum rates of pay that are in place in Ireland for the rest of 2015.
Experienced adult worker €8.65 per hour
Over 19 and in 2nd year of first employment €7.79 per hour (90%)
Over 18 and in first year of first employment €6.92 per hour (80%)
Aged under 18 €6.06 per hour (70% of minimum wage)
Minimum Wage for Trainees:
Employee aged over 18, in structured training during working hours
1st one third of course €6.49 an hour (75%)
2nd third of course €6.92 an hour (80%)
3rd part of course €7.79 an hour (90%)
These minimum wage rates have been in effect since July 2011 and are valid during all of 2015 .
Update : there will be a 50c per hour increase in the top rate of the Minimum Wage in January 2016 from €8.65 to €9.15 an hour. All other rates will increase accordingly. Details Here
According to the Central Statistics Office, around 73,000 workers -just 4.7% of the Irish workforce – were being paid the adult minimum wage of €8.65 in June 2014.
Trainee Rates: There are certain criteria which the training course must meet if the trainee rates are to apply. For example, the training or study must be for the purposes of improving the work performance of the employee; at least 10% of the training must occur away from the employee’s ordinary operational duties; there must be an assessment and certification procedure or written confirmation on the completion of the training course.
Someone on the minimum adult wage of €8.65 an hour would earn €340.60 for a 40 hour working week – or €17,992 gross over a full year.
A single minimum wage earner will be taxed – and will have deductions of €298 for income tax and €404 for Universal Social Charge over the year – resulting in a net weekly pay of just €332 (€8.30 per hour)
The minimum wage was introduced in Ireland in 2000 . The current level of minimum wage (€8.65) was set in 2007 and it has not risen since then. It was cut briefly to €7.65 in 2011 – but that cut was reversed soon after it was made.
SIPTU ( Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union) have called for a miimum wage of €11.45 an hour)
A comparison in 2012 showed that after adjusting for “Purchasing Power Parity” Ireland had the fifth highest Minimum Wage in the European Union. (Behind Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium and France) and just one spot above the UK.
Germany introduced a minimum wage for the first time in January 2015, setting it at €8.50 per hour