Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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290. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the gender breakdown of his Department in respect of principal officers, assistant secretaries and secretaries general, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5850/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Overall for 2024, the Department’s workforce broken down by gender is 57% female and 43% male, and our Gender Pay Gap (GPG) is 9.55%, a slight reduction on our 2023 GPG (10.86%). While female staff are well represented at most levels of our organisation, including at the senior management levels of Assistant Principal and Principal Officer, I am aware that the most senior tier of management is imbalanced.

My Department is committed to improving this, and has taken the time to understand the reasons behind our Gender Pay Gap and what specific strategies can be taken to improve it. Over 2023 and 2024, the HR team conducted an in-depth study into female career progression in the Department; the resulting report outlined a number of actions for follow-up, including improved manager training and support, improving communication around competitions, reviewing our Maternity Leave policy, and communicating the findings of the report to staff.

My Department sees learning and career development initiatives as a core part of our strategy to improve our ability to develop a strong and gender-balanced pipeline of future senior leaders. Particular priority is placed on coaching and mentoring programmes as a means to build leadership capability, with a strong focus on female participation. 85 staff participated in coaching and mentoring programmes in 2024, with 55% female participation. Last year also saw a new pilot HEO Executive Coaching programme, with 70% of participants female.

These approaches are each linked to a broader strategy for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, which was launched last June. The vision of this strategy is to ensure that everyone in our workplace is empowered to achieve to their full potential, and that for staff, career development is available on an equal footing to all.

The table below provides the details of my Department’s gender breakdown in respect of principal officers, assistant secretaries and secretary generals.