The Tánaiste has suggested the introduction of a national living wage may have a five year lead time.
Leo Varadkar said he wants Ireland to be an early adopter of a mandatory living wage but also cited the need for businesses to have enough time to prepare.
The Enterprise Minister said the living wage may be calculated as a percentage of the median wage.
But Varadkar said he saw merit in the amount also being linked to how much it costs to buy a basic package of goods and services.
