Gender Pay Gap report 2025

1.    Introduction

The Gender Pay Gap (GPG) Information Act 2021 introduced mandatory reporting obligations for certain employers and public bodies to improve transparency around pay inequality. From June 2025 all employers with 50 or more employees must report annually their GPG data, report on the reasons for the gaps and detail the measures the organisation has proposed to eliminate or reduce the gaps. The Pensions Authority is now at the employee threshold for mandatory reporting.

This is the Authority’s Gender Pay Gap report for 2025. The snapshot date for the Authority’s 2025 Gender Pay Gap report is 30 June 2025. The reporting period for this report is 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, inclusive.

2.    Gender Pay Gap figures for the Pensions Authority

No male employees availed of part-time working arrangements during the reporting period; therefore, the mean and median gender pay gap amongst employees who work on part-time arrangements in the Authority, is not applicable. 

The Authority had one male employee and no female employees on a fixed-term arrangement during the reporting period. Therefore, the mean and median gender pay gap amongst employees who work on fixed-term arrangements in the Authority is not applicable. 

The Authority does not award bonus pay to any employee in the organisation and therefore the mean and median bonus gaps are not applicable. 

During the reporting period, four male employees and one female employee received remuneration considered benefit-in-kind. All benefit-in-kind payments made related to professional membership fee refunds.

3.    Quartiles

Quartiles refer to the division of all employees into four even segments based on the value of their hourly pay. Therefore, each pay quartile represents a quarter of the total workforce ranked by pay. Looking at the proportion of males and females in each quartile shows the gender representation at different pay levels across the Authority.

Females represent a significant majority of employees in the lower quartile. Female employees represent a majority of represented employees in both the lower middle and upper middle quartiles. Male employees represent a slight majority in the upper quartile. 

4.    Reasons for remuneration differences

Remuneration in the Authority is set in line with public service pay scales and is governed by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform pay policy. Employees are paid in accordance with their relevant grades, and the associated scale and incremental points relating to their service.

There is more female representation in the Authority at the Clerical Officer, Executive Officer, Higher Executive Officer, and Assistant Principal Officer grades. There is higher male representation than female representation in the Authority at the Principal Officer grade and above.

More females than males seek part-time working patterns, career breaks and shorter working year arrangements in the Authority. 

5.    Actions to address the Gender Pay Gap

As part of our commitment to diversity and equality, the Authority will:

• Ensure that our recruitment policies and procedures are continuously reviewed in line with best practice. We will also continuously ensure that there is gender balance on interview panels. The Authority will continue to review recruitment and internal policy documentation to ensure that the language used is gender-proof and provide ongoing training to hiring managers and interviewers. This will ensure that gender equality remains a primary consideration throughout the recruitment process.
• Continue diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to foster a workplace free from unconscious bias.
• Promote leadership and development opportunities to women, where appropriate.
• Work with senior management to continue to champion diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives throughout the Authority.

6.    Conclusion

Diversity, equality and inclusion remains a priority for the Authority. We are committed to cultivating a respectful, tolerant and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Dealing with any gender pay gap issues is a critical part of building an inclusive working environment. The gender pay gap is affected by many internal and external factors. Closing the gender pay gap will take time; however, the Authority is committed to improving our gender pay gap figures by undertaking the above actions as part of our overall diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives.