Social Justice Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Social Justice Ireland

Date published 21 Jan, 2018

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Employment

Period 1 Sep, 2017 to 31 Dec, 2017

Specific Details Action Plan for Jobs: Submission to Consultation

Intended results Close the gap between the National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage, with a view to achieving parity between the two by 2022; • set out a long-term unemployment, particularly among older workers• equalise Jobseekers rates for all ages; • continue to address the imbalanced regional nature of employment creation; • set out a long-term unemployment, particularly among older workers• set out a strategy to address long-term unemployment, particularly among older workers

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Sean Healy, Director, Social Justice Ireland

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Submission (1)

Submission to consultation on Action Plan for Jobs. Social Justice Ireland has identified a number of key issues for employment in Ireland. We believe that a key policy aim should be ensure a move away from the current labour market trends of increasing precarious and low-paid employment, and towards quality employment that provides a living wage. Government has a number of policy interventions open to it. We recommend that Government: • move to close the gap between the National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage, with a view to achieving parity between the two by 2022; • consider the impact of tax-based incentives, including reduced VAT rates, and whether such resources would have a more positive effect if directed elsewhere; • equalise Jobseekers rates for all ages; • continue to address the imbalanced regional nature of employment creation • set out a strategy to combat long-term unemployment, particularly among older workers; • set a more ambitious target for “full employment”.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Dr Orlaigh Quinn Secretary General (Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation)