Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on advancements to date with regard to mandatory returns under gender pay gap legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56987/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 introduced the legislative basis for gender pay gap reporting in Ireland. The Act was commenced on 31 May 2022. Regulations have been made under the Act which enable reporting in 2022. The Regulations require organisations with over 250 employees to report on their gender pay gap in 2022. This obligation will extend in 2024 to employers with over 150 employees, and in 2025 to employers with over 50 employees.

Employers due to report in 2022 were required to choose a ‘snapshot’ date in June 2022 and to base their reporting on the employees they have on that date. Employers have six months from that date to make the relevant calculations and prepare their report, which should be published on the equivalent date in December 2022. The Regulations also require employers to publish a statement setting out, in the employers’ opinion, the reasons for the gender pay gap in their company and what measures are being taken or proposed to be taken by the employer to eliminate or reduce that pay gap. Employers will be required to publish their report and statement in a manner easily accessible to the public, such as on their website. Plans are in place to develop an online reporting system for future reporting cycles.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has published guidance for employers on how gender pay gap calculations should be made (www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/0cb29-gender-pay-gap-information-act-2021/ ) and has been running an awareness campaign for the past number of months to inform relevant employers of their responsibilities. Employers may submit further queries by email to genderequality@equality.gov.ie. My Department is also continuing to engage with trade union and employer representative bodies.