Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to begin by commending my colleagues in the Labour Party - Senator Bacik in particular - for drafting this Bill. Sinn Féin is very happy to support the Bill this evening.

I have to start with what is perhaps a negative on the commentary from the Minister of State. It is not so much on the detail, because in fairness, it is okay to express those concerns. The word that worried me is the same that worried my colleague, Senator Michael McDowell. It is this idea of consultation. There has been a trend in this Government to pass legislation to a certain stage and then park it.I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure that the Bill moves swiftly through its various Stages. I do not think the women of Ireland will thank the Government for parking this Bill. For example, the consultation to which the Minister of State referred can easily be dealt with on Committee Stage.

Sinn Féin welcomes the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is clear that the pay gap is, sadly, still a very relevant issue. I note recent information from the World Economic Forum predicted it would take until 2186 to close the current pay gap. Britain introduced gender pay gap reporting in April, alongside other jurisdictions across the EU and the US. These obligations will come into force in the Six Counties next month. While we welcome these moves, it remains to be seen whether they will have the effect of closing the pay gap. We are optimistic that they will.

We have some suggestions for the Bill. We note there is provision for a class A fine for a company that does not comply with an eventual IHREC scheme. A class A fine of €5,000 will be a drop in the ocean for some companies. The Minister of State suggested reducing the fines. Sinn Féin would take the opposite view. Perhaps there is scope to increase them in some circumstances. Furthermore, we would like to see a more public element for companies that do not comply. The people who engage with these companies, namely, their customers and employees, should know this information.

I will not labour the point about why we need to close the gender pay gap. Almost all of us know that it is necessary to create a more equal society. We know more equality benefits the economy. It will benefit many families in terms of increasing the take-home pay of women, with some projections in Britain estimating women's earnings could increase by £85 million. It is one aspect of a suite of measures that need to be taken in order to cancel out the motherhood penalty, which includes improving shared parental leave, child care that is affordable for parents and those carrying out the work and flexible work practices becoming the norm.

However, the Bill, the practice of shared parental leave and so on are steps towards the idea of equality that will primarily benefit some sections of our society. In our view, they are less likely to assist those who are working in low-paid industries. We need a range of measures designed to counteract the real effects austerity and capitalism have on the working class, and on working class women in particular. We need to have a serious conversation about working class women and families who shoulder the burden of austerity, and how we want to assist them.

Pay equity is a laudable goal, but we must be careful that we do not inadvertently valourise motherhood only when it is combined with waged work of a certain standard without addressing the marginalising impact of structural issues that obstruct the realisation of real equality. Throughout the economic crisis and the imposition of austerity, there was a reduction of €30 billion in public expenditure in a six-year period, along with increased privatisation of public services in the context of a low tax regime. User charges, so-called activation schemes and reductions in health, education, housing and community services brought severe consequences for women who were already in difficult positions.

We welcome the Bill, while recognising the significant task of work ahead to improve the lot of those suffering the gendered impact of the last number of austerity budgets, where the individual incomes of women were reduced overall. We do not underestimate the importance of closing the gender pay gap, but we need to address the Traveller, working class and migrant pay gaps and so on.

Furthermore, the Bill will not address the teacher pay gap that, unfortunately, the Labour Party introduced which fundamentally undermines the principle of equal pay for equal work when it comes to newly-qualified teachers, the majority of whom are women. It will not address class polarisation and the fact the recession was disproportionately borne by the more vulnerable. We must work to place the struggle against sexual discrimination in an anticapitalist framework and recognise that we cannot separate the demand for equality from a critique of the role of capital and patriarchal structures in the struggles that women make daily to survive.

In conclusion, we welcome and will support the Bill, while acknowledging the major social, economic and legal changes that are required to ensure true equality for all women. I wish to reiterate my appeal. We have so little legislation to deal with in the House. This is a worthy Bill. I ask the Minister of State to make sure that we do not park it. Let us move it forward and make progress for women in this country.