Women workers occupy higher paid roles at Galway City Council, according to the local authority’s latest gender pay gap report.

The report for 2023 highlighted the percentage difference between what men and women are paid on average in the organisation, irrespective of roles or levels.

The City Council reported a ‘negative’ gender pay gap, which indicated that on average women occupy higher paid roles than men.

According to the 22-pages document, part-time work impacted this statistic.

Some 9% of all staff at City Hall were part-time, and more than three-quarters of them were women.

“The higher negative gender pay gap for the part-time mean and median hourly rate is explained by the higher proportion of females availing of part-time work in Pay Bands three and four,” the report said.

The mean gender pay gap shows that on average, the mean rate of pay for women was 6.26% higher than the mean rate of pay for men working in the City Council. The median gender pay gap shows that the median rate of pay for women is 20.58% higher than the median rate of pay for men.

Two-thirds of the approximately 550 workers at City Hall are men. Employers with over 250 workers are required by law to publish their gender pay gap.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Publishing our gender pay gap data helps to reinforce our focus on supporting an open and inclusive workplace at Galway City Council. Our organisation is a place where all employees have the same opportunities for recognition and career development and are treated fairly and equitably at work.

“We continue to be committed to addressing workplace barriers to equality and creating an open and inclusive workplace community. Many equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives and supports are already in place, and we will continue to work in this area.”

The Council said it offered “flexible and family friendly arrangements, blended working, career progression and education opportunities” to its staff.

The gender pay gap is different from equal pay, and it calculates the percentage difference between the average earnings of males and females, irrespective of their role.

Pictured: Interim Chief Executive of Galway City Council Patricia Philbin leads a workforce of some 550 people.