National Minimum Wage Act, 2000

Interpretation.

2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

“contract of employment” means—

(a) a contract of service or apprenticeship, or

(b) any other contract whereby an individual agrees with another person to do or perform personally any work or service for that person or a third person (whether or not the third person is a party to the contract),

whether the contract is express or implied and, if express, whether or not it is in writing;

“employee” means a person of any age who has entered into, or works or has worked under, a contract of employment;

“employer”, in relation to an employee, means the person with whom the employee has entered into, or for whom the employee works or has worked under, a contract of employment, and includes a transferee of an undertaking referred to in section 46 ;

“functions” includes powers and duties;

“inspector” means a person appointed under section 33 (1) as an inspector;

“Minister” means the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment;

“national minimum hourly rate of pay” means the rate of pay declared by order of the Minister under section 11 ;

“pay” means all amounts of payment, and any benefit-in-kind specified in Part 1 of the Schedule, made or allowed by an employer to an employee in respect of the employee's employment;

“pay reference period”, in relation to an employee, means the period selected under section 10 by his or her employer;

“premium” means any amount in excess of basic pay payable to an employee in respect of his or her work;

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made under this Act by the Minister;

“working hours” has the meaning assigned to it by section 8 .

(2) A reference in this Act to an employee of an employer shall be construed as a reference to an employee employed by that employer or to whom the employer is liable to pay wages and for that purpose a person holding office under, or in the service of, the State (including a civil servant within the meaning of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956 ) shall be deemed to be an employee employed by the State or the Government and an officer or servant of a local authority for the purposes of the Local Government Act, 1941 , or of a harbour authority, health board or vocational education committee, shall be deemed to be an employee employed by the respective authority, board or committee.

(3) In this Act—

(a) a reference to any other enactment shall, except to the extent that the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any other enactment, including this Act,

(b) a reference to a section or Part is a reference to a section or Part of this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended,

(c) a reference to a subsection, paragraph or subparagraph is a reference to a subsection, paragraph or subparagraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that a reference to some other provision is intended, and

(d) a reference to the Schedule is a reference to the Schedule to this Act.