Westmeath workers to benefit as Lidl announces €11m investment in payrises

More than 460 employees across three stores and Regional Distribution Centre (Mullingar) in Westmeath are set for a significant pay boost as part of an €11million national investment by retail giant Lidl.

Since 2022, Lidl has invested more than €58m in pay rises for employees in the Republic of Ireland, with employees benefitting from an approximate 27.5 per cent cumulative increase, or an average €9,500 in additional take home pay during the height of the cost-of-living crisis. All employees will feel the benefit of this increase in their wages, with the increase effective from March 1.

This latest investment will see all of Lidl’s 5,500 employees in Ireland benefitting from an average increase of 4 per cent to their ‘Total Rewards’ package. Consisting of an annual 3 per cent increase to salaries, equal to on average €1,500 per employee and the remainder contributed to benefits including pension funds, private healthcare and personal insurance.

With this latest pay increase, Lidl Ireland has moved its minimum wage for employees to €15.40 and top-rate wage for colleagues to €17.90 – matching the recommended €15.40 Living Wage rate for 2026.

Commenting on the announcement, Chief People Officer at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland Maeve McCleane said: “At Lidl, we believe that supporting our colleagues is the foundation of our success. While the economic climate remains a challenge, our focus is on a holistic approach to employee compensation, balancing immediate salary growth with long-term lifestyle benefits providing more than just competitive pay; we are building a comprehensive support system that benefits every single individual. This is our way of saying a sincere thank you for our colleague’s central role in driving Lidl’s success.”