New portal allows public to compare gender pay gap data across employers

Under the next reporting cycle, all such employers will be required to submit their reports to the Gender Pay Gap Portal. Picture: iStock

The Government has launched a publicly accessible portal allowing people to view employer data on the size of gender pay gaps within organisations.

Although only fewer than 400 organisations are currently listed on the portal, that number is expected to increase substantially when publication on the platform becomes mandatory for the 2026 reporting cycle.

“This will help to shine a light on pay disparities and support progress toward greater equality in the workforce,” equality minister Norma Foley said.

“This publicly available information on the portal will encourage employers to meet their legal obligation to report on their gender pay gaps. It will also help our understanding of the gender pay gap in Ireland and how it might be eliminated.” 

For several years, organisations with more than 50 employees have been required to report on gender pay gaps in their workplaces. They must publish a report on their website within five months of a June “snapshot” date.

Under the next reporting cycle, all such employers will be required to submit their reports to the Gender Pay Gap Portal, meaning data relating to a large number of organisations will be available in a single location.

The Government said the portal will bring the information together in a “standardised manner” and allow users to compare and review employer data by year, sector and company size.

“Through a suite of measures, we have already seen Ireland’s gender pay gap gradually reduce from 14.4% in 2017 to a provisional figure of 8.3% in 2024,” Ms Foley added.

“I encourage all employers in scope of the legislation to register on the Gender Pay Gap Portal and to upload your reports so your data will be captured on the Portal in advance of its mandatory use this November.” 

However, the move comes as the Government faces criticism over its failure to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive before the deadline earlier this month, and its indication that employers will not be penalised for non-compliance while the measures are introduced on a phased basis.

Under the directive, employers would be required to provide pay details to job applicants. 

Interviewers would no longer be permitted to ask candidates about their pay history, while existing employees would be entitled to request information on how their pay compares with the average pay of colleagues performing comparable work.

The aim of the directive is to improve pay equality for women. Figures from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions suggest that the failure to transpose the directive on time will cost working women more than €570m per year in lost wages.