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See under Convention No. 26, as follows:

1. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report (received in June 1989) concerning the new minimum wage rates and it also notes the statistical data concerning inspection visits and the number of workers to whom these wages apply. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to supply such information.

2. As regards its previous direct requests, the Committee notes the new comments made by the Federated Union of Employers (FUE), which were transmitted with the Government's report, concerning the need to make changes in the structure and operation of the minimum wage-fixing machinery and the role that should be attributed to the Labour Court in cases where a Joint Labour Committee is unable to approve a draft Employment Regulation Order. The Committee also notes the Government's reply and the comments made on this subject by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The Government indicates, in this connection, that the comments made by the above two organisations will be taken into account in a more general reform of the industrial relations system, that the Minister for Labour has undertaken appropriate discussions with the two organisations concerning the proposed reforms and that he hopes to put forward proposals on the reform of the industrial relations system in the near future which also include certain changes in the operation of the system of Joint Labour Committees.

The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of any development in this respect.