We wrote to the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection on the strategic response needed following the transfer of labour market policy to the old Department of Social Protection. The connection between labour affairs activity and social welfare presents an opportunity for increased integration and new policy directions around issues such as the relationship between the national minimum wage and social welfare rates, the operation of part-time working and social welfare benefits, upskilling and pathways to work, and return to work after illness.

We presented CIPD’s views on a number of areas:

• Pensions
• Having the right skills, accessing and sustaining jobs
• Protections for precarious workers
• Organisation development and stakeholder engagement by the Dept
• Family and carer responsibilities
• Minimum wage and fitness for work