‘The Impetus for Change’: Legislating for Equal Pay and Employment Equality in the Republic of Ireland in the 1970s1

Abstract

The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 is the most recent legislative effort in the Republic of Ireland to address the enduring gender pay gap. However, why is the gender pay gap an enduring aspect of Irish working life? Since independence, economic factors combined with religious influences saw male employment prioritised and by the early 1970s Irish women's workplace representation and average pay compared to male workers was low. This article explores the provisions of, and circumstances surrounding the introduction of two of the first acts addressing employment equality - the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act 1974 and the Employment Equality Act 1977 and considers two contrasting equal pay cases and their impact. Five decades later, what insights does the legislation's introduction provide?