At present in Ireland, businesses do not have to pay interns despite the fact that many interns have the relevant skills from their degrees yet do not have the practical experience. This is creating an inequality gap in Ireland. The students who can financially afford (thanks to their family) to work for free or get paid a lump sum for 3-6 months (40+ hours a week yet severely below minimum wage) get "their foot in the door", whilst their peers who have work part time in their regular jobs to pay for necessities such as food, rent, bills, tuition fees etc are often left behind and have to decline internship opportunities ( and instead continue working in their part time job).

The fact that many businesses exploit the fact that they do not have to legally pay an intern means that students who simply cannot afford to partake in an internship find it extremely challenging to find a graduate job in their final year.

The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 defines a contract of employment very broadly as follows:
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. " Yet there is a loophole for internships.

I am asking the government to change this and ensure that students (regardless of economic backgrounds) can enter an internship knowing that they will be paid at least the national minimum wage (if not more) and joyfully gain from the skills and connections internships offer without having to turn them down due to not being paid the minimum wage or asked to work for free 40 hours (or more) per week. 

Thank you,

Stephanie Kerr

UCD student