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amendments and subsequent regulations to be made under the Bill will legally oblige employers in scope of the legislation to report their gender pay gap information via the gender pay gap portal. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality first introduced gender pay gap reporting in 2022 following … enactment of the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021. Reporting was introduced on a phased basis. As of 2025 employers with over 50 employees must report on their gender pay gap by publishing it on their own website or making it otherwise publicly available. The Department

fully transposed the EU directive on gender balance on corporate boards to ensure that listed companies achieve a more gender-balanced spread among their board members. We have also made great strides in our efforts to narrow the gender pay gap, which is a critical measure of inequality … gender pay gap exceeds 5%. It also provides for compensation for victims of pay discrimination and penalties, including fines, for non-compliance. This directive is crucial to empower workers, especially women, to enforce their right to equal pay through a set of binding measures on pay transparency

been the rise in the number of women in employment. However, women in the workplace still face an array of challenges. The gender pay gap highlights the inequalities women face in the workplace, especially when it comes to things like pay, access to work, progression within organisations, including … step back and see the progress that has been made. Specifically, Ireland has been a positive player in working to reduce the gender pay gap and good progress, but not enough progress, has been made in recent years. Our gender pay gap has reduced from

more concerning that gender inequality is beginning earlier than motherhood. Research from the Growing up in Ireland study has identified a sizeable gender pay gap already among 25-year-old men and women and that is largely driven by the sectors they enter. Women are far more likely … spends on parental leave increases the mothers earnings by about 6.7%. When fathers take leave mothers return to work earlier and the gender pay gap narrows. We are also seeing it is not just fathers who cannot afford to take leave as mothers also choose not to take

provisions contained in this Bill and the clear commitment they represent to fairness, dignity and equal opportunity in our society. The Irish gender pay gap currently stands at 8.3%, below the EU average of 11.1%. It is also lower for newer entrants to the job market. That … welcome news but, even still, only one in ten CEOs are female. The gender pay gap portal is a centralised reporting database. It is an important element of employment equality. It creates transparency and fairness. It should, and will, I hope, highlight discrepancies quickly that will be swiftly

Employment Equality and Institutional Burials (Amendment) Bill, which is a constructive piece of legislation. We need provisions relating to the gender pay gap reporting. It is always important to have transparency for policymakers, employers and workers in improving things but we obviously still have the existing inequalities … purpose of the portal was to enable clear examination of pay disparities across sectors and to support responses aimed at reducing the gender pay gap, which, unfortunately, is still evident in many areas. With the technology we have had over the past couple of years, you would argue

express support for both parts of this Bill, including the gender pay gap element of it. Currently, the gender pay gap in this country is at 10.8%. I welcome mechanisms to increase the reporting because when we have more data, we can see exactly what the difficulty … trying to figure out how to explain the gender pay gap to somebody. If two people are working in the same company and they work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the man will get paid from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but with the current

cruelty to exclude people from this payment scheme. As enterprise, tourism and employment spokesperson for Sinn Féin, I will focus on the gender pay gap reporting provisions. Employers are already required to collect and publish gender pay gap information but the Bill introduces a mandatory requirement for that … real change. We must remember who pays the price for that failure. It is overwhelmingly women who experience the consequences of the gender pay gap through lower earnings, reduced career opportunities and, ultimately, lower pensions. I wish to send solidarity to those who are in that category

welcome this Bill for both its updating of the Gender Pay Gap Information Act and its expansion of the identification programme to include first cousins. The measures of strength and transparency under the Employment Equality Act are also welcome, but Ireland's unadjusted gender pay gap is estimated … know that for women with children, women of colour and women with disabilities this is even greater. However, closing the gender pay gap requires more than just collecting data. It requires fairer childcare systems, stronger maternity protections and proper recognition of the value of care work

welcome the Bill and the proposals the Minister is bringing forward to strengthen gender pay gap reporting. The gender pay gap has real consequences for women throughout their lives, in their earnings, opportunities for promotion and pensions. Requiring employers covered by the legislation to report through a central

this opportunity to update Members on the significant progress we have made in advancing gender equality, progress that is clearly reflected in Ireland's rising position on the EU gender equality index. Gender equality is one of the core values of the European Union and I am proud … accommodate a wide range of family structures and support better work-life balance for everyone, including parents. Another key development is the gender pay gap portal, a centralised database where employers can upload their gender pay gap information. Reporting is voluntary until November of this year, giving employers

them now. We have a situation still ongoing in Ireland where workplace discrimination and sexual harassment remain concerns. We have the ongoing gender pay gap and workplace inequality. Women in Ireland still earn less than men on average, with a gender pay gap of approximately 12%. Childcare costs

achieve to ensure people feel equal in this society and, ultimately, are equal in reality. I will start by talking about the gender pay gap and the importance of trying, not just to resolve it, but to bring greater transparency around it. We know that over time … gender pay gap widens. The only way you can manage something like this is by measuring it and by having transparency. I implore the Minister of State to continue to work on this issue and to ensure that it gets the attention it needs and achieves the desired

also welcome this Bill. It requires employers to submit gender pay gap information to the central portal, making reports easier to find, compare and scrutinise. It also extends eligibility under the Institutional Burials Act to first cousins, an important compassionate change for families seeking answers. On the gender … pay reporting, transparency matters, but what matters most is what we do with the information. Ireland's gender pay gap is reported to be at 8.3% and, according to the CSO, the number of women in employment has increased by 82% since 2000, so there has been progress

they are the issues at hand. I thank all employers who have made an account on a voluntary basis on the gender pay gap portal, as well as our social partners which have continually encouraged use of the portal. I am grateful to the House for facilitating consideration … Bill so that legislation can be passed in time for mandatory reporting of the 2026 gender pay gap reporting cycle, which begins on 1 November. I also thank the House for facilitating the amendments to the Institutional Burials Act because of the age profile or health status

ability to earn and pay their bills? It is having a really appalling impact on women's careers. We talk about the gender pay gap. The lack of childcare contributes to that hugely. Approximately 30% of women in this country's workforce are in part-time employment. Some … shortage of services, but with regard to childcare and elder care. We sometimes see figures put out that there is a 14% gender pay gap in this country; that is not accurate. It is far closer to 24% when you look at the gap between the weekly wage

central system for gender pay gap reporting is a very sensible reform. It should make information easier to find, compare and track over time, giving policymakers, researchers, employees and the public a clearer picture of where progress is being made and where further action is needed. Transparency … Without that clarity, there is a risk that we improve reporting without strengthening accountability. We must also address the causes of the gender pay gap. We know the gap widens when children arrive and caring responsibilities fall unequally. Paternity leave in Ireland remains at just two weeks

have the opportunity to talk about the two topics covered in this Bill. First of all, I cannot understand why the gender pay gap and allowing first cousins to be part of DNA testing with regard to institutional burials have been lumped in together. It is only right … there is a lot of money going different ways, and these people should be included and helped at this time. Regarding the gender pay gap, there should be no gap. If a woman and a man are doing the same work in an equal fashion, they should

House today deals with two separate issues, both of which are very welcome steps. The first issue I will deal with is gender pay gap reporting. I welcome the Government's move towards establishing a more central reporting portal but we need to see more urgency on pay … time will cost working women more than €570 million per year in lost wages. The directive's measures for tackling the gender pay gap are not limited to reporting. Where such gaps persistently exceed 5%, employers would be required to consult with unions or other employee representatives

returning to work, access to full-time roles and long-term financial security. If our Government is serious about addressing the gender pay gap and improving gender equality as a whole within our society, it needs to start here. We need our Government to recognise that affordable, accessible … also facing serious challenges in recruitment and retention of staff. It is vital our plan for a public model of childcare includes proper pay and working conditions for staff in early childhood education facilities. Urgent action needs to be taken to address this. The challenges of recruitment

welcome the two elements of this Bill. Speaking first to the gender pay gap issues, the transparency of the central availability of this information will be a step forward. I would disagree slightly perhaps with the impact this potentially has on SMEs as overly bureaucratic because, of course … threshold will not be impacted by it. However, I emphasise the point that knowing about a gap and doing something about it are two very different things. Gender pay discrepancy persists in this society and we must do more than simply finding out the information. I appreciate that

third-level education than men, when they finish their education and enter the workforce, they are not paid as well. The gender pay gap in Ireland stands at just over 9%. This means the average man earns 9% more than the average woman. That said, progress has been

based violence. It is self-evident that a large amount of work is still to be done. Women in Ireland face a gender pay gap. Women are still underrepresented in business and politics. One in four women in Ireland experiences domestic violence. This is not just a women … must be part of the solution. It is vital for men today to reflect on the example set by those who have championed gender inequality before us but I am deeply concerned by some of the trends we are seeing emerging among young men here in Ireland

appropriately according to their wishes. I have no issue with the legislation before us. Similarly, I have no issue with centralising the gender pay gap portal, which has already been launched, and making reporting via that system mandatory. Listening to the Minister, I thought of those people

technical in nature, it provides for two vital measures that will make a real difference in people's lives. The first concerns gender pay gap reporting. The Bill requires employers to report data directly to the Minister, thereby creating a centralised national system and comparison mechanism. We know

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth besides gender pay gap reporting, what steps his Department is taking to close the gender pay gap; and how his Department plans to ensure equal pay for equal work across all sectors. [46493/24

Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the new gender pay gap reporting portal for public and private organisations will be fully launched as promised on International Women’s Day 2025, under the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021. [59047/25

Equality when the Government will implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive which aims to combat pay discrimination and help close the gender pay gap in the European Union. [45479/26

states in relation to their ability to transpose certain aspects of the Pay Transparency Directive specifically in relation to reporting on the gender pay gap; her views in relation to these difficulties, if such difficulties apply to Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter

Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of all the companies that are reporting on the gender pay gap. [24523/26

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an organisation (details supplied) will be included in her Department's review of their draft gender pay gap portal. [65477/25

Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the additional planned legislation for gender pay gap reporting will be brought to the Dáil. [59048/25

Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on the progress of her Department’s work to establish a gender pay gap IT portal. [36389/25

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to eradicate the gender pay gap in pharmaceutical sector. [19361/25

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he can provide data on how the gender pay gap varies across different sectors, industries and levels of seniority. [46499/24

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans on extending the reporting of gender pay gaps to smaller businesses. [46501/24

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reasons for the large gender pay gap in services and sales employment identified in the latest Eurostat structure of earnings survey; and the measures that will be taken to address same. [1650/25

Equality if her Department has examined recent labour-market research indicating a 17% gap in salary expectations between men and women entering the workforce; the implications this may have for long-term gender pay disparities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25835/26