6. The Act of 2006 is amended by inserting the following section after section 1:

“ Definition of ‘remuneration’

1A. (1) In this Act ‘remuneration’ means—

(a) subject to paragraph (b), the total amount of—

(i) the salary that is paid to the foreign national, the hourly rate of which shall not be less than the national minimum hourly rate of pay or, where appropriate to the employment in respect of which the application is made, the hourly rate referred to in section 12(6)(b), and

(ii) a payment for health insurance in respect of a foreign national should he or she require medical treatment for illness or injury during the period for which the employment permit is in force and which is made to a health insurer by the person who made the offer of employment,

or

(b) in respect of an employment permit granted for the purposes referred to in section 3A(2)(d) and 3A(2)(e), the total amount of—

(i) the salary that is paid to the foreign national, the hourly rate of which shall be not less than the national minimum hourly rate of pay or, where appropriate to the employment in respect of which the application is made, the hourly rate referred to in section 12(6)(b),

(ii) a payment for board and accommodation, or either of them, or the monetary value of board and accommodation directly provided by the connected person, foreign employer or contractor, and

(iii) a payment for health insurance in respect of a foreign national should he or she require medical treatment for illness or injury during the period for which the employment permit is in force and which is made by the foreign employer or the connected person or both of them or by the contractor to—

(I) a health insurer, or

(II) a person outside the State who provides insurance for medical treatment in respect of the foreign national that has the same, or similar, effect as the health insurance provided by a health insurer.

(2) In this Act—

(a) references to remuneration in relation to an application for the grant of an employment permit and the consideration of such application by the Minister shall be construed as the remuneration, specified in that application, that is proposed to be paid by—

(i) the person who has made the offer of employment in respect of which the application is made,

(ii) in the case of an employment permit for the purpose referred to in section 3A(2)(d), the foreign employer, in accordance with section 3D and the payments in respect of the remuneration to be paid, in accordance with section 3D, by the connected person, or

(iii) in the case of an employment permit for the purpose referred to in section 3A(2)(e), the contractor in accordance with section 3E,

and

(b) references to remuneration after a permit has been granted shall be construed as the remuneration paid to the holder of the permit by an employer, a foreign employer in accordance with section 3D, a connected person in accordance with section 3D, or a contractor in accordance with section 3E, during the period for which the employment permit has been granted in respect of the employment for which the employment permit was granted.”.