Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The gender pay gap in Ireland is 14%. This means that women in Ireland are effectively working for free for a quarter of the year. That might make sense if women did 14% less work, worked 14% fewer hours or put in 14% less effort, but we all know that is not the case. In fact, it is often acknowledged that women have to work twice as hard as their male counterparts to get noticed in work and to progress their careers. The bottom line is that we all know that the gender pay gap is not a gap. It is a gaping injustice. It is a reflection of how we value men and women in society but it is not a reflection of the value that women bring to the workplace. We all want a fairer and more equal economy that rewards work and not gender. Working to close the gender pay gap is the very first step towards pay parity. Once implemented, this Bill will require large employers to publish details of their pay gaps, including bonuses. It will also mean that Departments and Government agencies will have to report on their own gender enforcement and gender pay gaps. They will have to take greater responsibility for enforcing the recommendations of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. That is so welcome and so long-awaited. Publishing gender pay gap information might seem like a small step but it forces businesses and business owners to do the work, to acknowledge the problem, which is sometimes under their own roof, and to confront the inequalities in their businesses. It is not as easy to ignore issues when you are forced to confront them. Publishing pay gaps is a first step towards pay parity. I for one look forward to the day when slogans like "equal pay for equal work" are no longer needed. I welcome the Bill as proposed to the House.

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