Tariffs force government to delay pension auto-enrolment and minimum wage hike

Jack Chambers is also in the process of establishing a new infrastructure division within his own department to accelerate the delivery of projects that impede investment and the creation of jobs.

The rollout of pension auto-enrolment and increases to the minimum wage will both be delayed, the public expenditure minister has confirmed.

As the Government works to protect businesses against the negative impact of US tariffs, Jack Chambers has said that the pensions auto-enrolment scheme will now be "pushed beyond September", the intended start date.

Mr Chambers is also in the process of establishing a new infrastructure division within his own department to accelerate the delivery of projects that impede investment and the creation of jobs.

He will be bringing a memo to Cabinet this week to set up a separate external taskforce to examine the overall regulation in the Irish economy around infrastructure delivery.

"I'm establishing an accelerated infrastructure taskforce which will have external experts with experience in the Irish economy who are there to actually hold the Government and indeed the broader system to account on actually driving this forward, because we've had too much constraints and barriers which are holding back the Irish economy and holding back infrastructure delivery," he said.

Addressing the infrastructure deficit across the economy

Mr Chambers said this work will involve seconding expertise in from various agencies as well as bringing in outside experts to ensure that "we drive forward with the core social and economic objective, which is addressing the infrastructure deficit across the economy".

The move is part of a number of proposals being worked up by the coalition, with enterprise minister Peter Burke due to bring a 15-point competitiveness plan to Cabinet this week.

"The number one focus for government is to protect jobs, to drive competitiveness, and that's why, separately, will be establishing a cost of business advisory forum to look at how to sustainably manage the overall cost for business," Mr Chambers said.

"Within that, the Government is considering how we sequence the overall timing of the implementation for the minimum wage, and that's something that will be brought forward to Government shortly."

Pressed on what this might mean for lower wage workers, he told RTÉ radio: "The nature and scale of the increases may be extended over a slightly longer period, but there would still, I expect, be increases. 

"It would be managed in a more sustainable way that reflects the need within the Irish economy to preserve jobs, to ensure we manage the overall cost base."