Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 16:

In page 10, line 15, to delete “5th anniversary” and substitute “4th anniversary”.

I was able earlier to refer briefly to this amendment. It reduces the time period within which a review and report of this legislation will be undertaken. It is set currently at five years.

I am proposing to reduce that to four years. I think we have to strike a balance here between vigorously reviewing new and innovative legislation to ascertain whether it is working and delivering on its stated purpose which, in this case, is the taking of measures to reduce the gender pay gap but, at the same time, giving the legislation time to work and giving time for the processes to successfully change practice and culture among employers. By setting the review to take place before four years have elapsed, the full application of the Bill will have come all the way down to employers of 50 or more employees, which is the cap at which the legislation is set, and will give one year for that to take place. It is an amendment that will enable a future Government to examine the success of this legislation in a more compact time period and I think that is appropriate.

See this speech in context