Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 April 2026
2482. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of the Pay Transparency Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25153/26]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Pay Transparency Directive, officially known as Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms, came into force in June 2023.
Member States must transpose the Directive into national law by 7 June 2026. EU companies will be required to share information about how much they pay women and men for work of equal value and to act if their gender pay gap exceeds 5%.
Ireland's Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 transposed a large portion of the Directive, particularly in relation to Article 9 on Gender Pay Gap Reporting. The implementation of this Act and associated regulations require employers to report their gender pay gap each year, and the measures that are being taken to eliminate or reduce the gap.
The General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill includes provisions to transpose Article 5 of the Directive regarding the provision of information on salary to potential employees. The General Scheme was referred to Pre-Legislative Scrutiny in June 2025. Pre-Legislative Scrutiny was completed in October 2025, and officials are considering the recommendations in the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny report.
Department officials are currently developing a General Scheme to transpose the remaining elements of this Directive into Irish law and are continuing to work on additional measures to assist with the transposition of the Directive as soon as possible. The Department will work with employers, employees and their representatives in the implementation of the Directive, which will be on a phased basis. Employers will not be penalised for not having all elements of Directive completed in June 2026 and the Department will be working with stakeholders to communicate this message.
This Directive is crucial to empower workers, and especially women, to enforce their right to equal pay through a set of binding measures on pay transparency, to strengthen the transparency of pay systems, to improve public understanding of the relevant legal concepts, and to enhance enforcement of the rights and obligations relating to equal pay.
The Department is also aware of the need to ensure that employers are aware of their obligations under the Directive. There will be opportunities in the near future for stakeholders, particularly employers, to engage with the Department on issues such as available supports, as we move into the next phases of the transposition process.
