New minimum wage rate to be set before budget

The Government will set a new minimum wage before the budget.

Richard Bruton, minister for jobs, enterprise, and innovation, made the pledge yesterday just weeks before the Low Pay Commission is due to make its first report to the Government.

The current rate of €8.65 set in 2007 had been restored in July 2011 after the Fine Gael/Labour government reversed a €1 cut that was imposed by the previous government.