Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Jul 1993

Vol. 433 No. 5

Written Answers. - Male-Female Earnings.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

26 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform his views on whether the gap between male and female earnings is acceptable considering that it is almost 20 years since the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974; the Government's plans, if any, to strengthen anti-discrimination measures to reduce the differential; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Taylor)

The most recent statistics for gross earnings and hours of work of industrial workers (adult rates) indicate that the average female hourly earnings in manufacturing industry is approximately 70 per cent of average male hourly earnings.

As I indicated in my reply to a previous Dáil question from Deputy Máirín Quill on 4 March the existence of such a gap between the earnings of female and male workers in industrial employment indicates the persistence of inequalities between men and women in this employment area. Factors contributing to this gap include not only differing occupation patterns as between men and women but also differing work organisation patterns, and remuneration systems.

While this disparity in earnings is a problem in manufacturing industry the extent of any disparity in male/female earnings for other sectors is not as clear. Fortunately research on this has been commissioned jointly by the former Department of Labour and Employment Equality Agency which the ESRI are expected to complete in the next few months.

While the solutions to any differential in pay between men and women does not lie in equal pay legislation alone, I am proposing a number of changes to the provisions of the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974, and the Employment Equality Act, 1977, to improve the position. These include provision for the removal of requirements that employees claiming equal pay must be employed in the same place of work or contemporaneously with the comparator cited.

I am also examining proposals, in the context of the amending legislation, to strengthen the existing provision on positive action. Over and above the anti-discrimination measures inherent in employment equality law I consider that there is scope for tackling the male/female differential issue through enlightened positive action measures targeted by employers together with workers at removing barriers to recruitment and advancement of women at work.