The Government may bring forward legislation to allow individual employers to submit a claim to the Labour Court if they cannot pay the minimum wage.
Minister of State at the Department of Labour Dara Calleary said there is an existing mechanism that allows companies to plead an inability to pay in relation to the minimum wage.
Speaking at the McGill Summer School, Mr Calleary said the Government is committed to bringing forward legislation to modernise the current system.
He said companies can apply to the Labour Court and produce individual figures. If the Labour Court decides that the company has a case it can grant a stay on the paying of wages of ‘between three months and a year’.
He said there is a proposal to introduce this mechanism into the various sectors that are covered by joint labour agreements such as retail, agriculture, food and catering.
Mr Calleary said this may give people a chance, particularly in a time of economic pressure, to keep people in employment while at the same time controlling their wage costs.
