Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. It is great to see this Bill progressing on Committee Stage. I congratulate Senator Bacik and the Labour Party Senators for keeping the pressure on this issue. It is important.

We have a real problem here. It is 40 years since we saw equal pay legislation. I would have thought that since that was in place there would be no need to have this conversation. Women earn 14% less than men on an aggregate basis and that is utterly unacceptable. We have to take additional measures like those set out in the Bill to ensure that this issue is addressed via the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission or some other collector of data - Senator Bacik referred to Departments - with the commission having oversight. That is an interesting idea.

We must ensure that the Bill is as strong as possible. Some of the amendments tabled by Senator Conway-Walsh would strengthen the Bill. The first aspect of all of this is to bring the problem to the surface, because it is not everywhere. That is important. We do not know that we have a problem until we know where the problem is. That represents an important part and consequence of the Bill. A little shaming is no harm, but I think so-called faming also works. Both carrot and stick are appropriate, but information is everything.

I am delighted IBEC has come on board. There is nothing more depleting of morale and productivity than finding that a person is getting paid less or has different terms and conditions than another sitting beside that person who would appear to be doing the same job. All these issues are emerging with new teachers and gardaí coming in. We should have a situation whereby similar work is paid similarly, especially in this instance, irrespective of gender.

The debate also provides us with an opportunity to hear the Government intent on the matter. I hope the Minister of State will set out his stall to us today. The inclusion of actions in strategies is well and good, but we need concrete action to address and eliminate this issue. There is no reason to have a gender pay gap at all. It is possible to eliminate it and I believe the proposals in the Bill requiring companies with 50 employees or more to publish any differences in the rates they pay to men and women, including bonus pay, would represent a concrete measure. It has been proven to work elsewhere. I hope that we can follow suit in this country.