The gender pay gap among employees in the health services in Ireland is widening with female staff earning on average 14.5% less than their male colleagues, according to the latest official figures.
The HSE claimed the increase in the gender pay gap over the last 12 months is almost entirely due to the difference in pay levels among medical and dental staff.
The gender pay gap report for 2024 shows that the gap between male and female staff in the HSE has widened from 12% in 2023 based on average hourly pay.
The gap has widened even further among part-time staff from 9% in 2023 to 15.7% this year, while among staff on temporary contracts the gap has risen to 23.2% from 20 percent last year.
The report is based on the average hourly pay of almost 80,000 direct employees.
The HSE pointed out that the results cover almost 900 different grades across six staff categories.
From a detailed analysis of the figures, the HSE said the increase in the gender pay gap in 2024 was predominantly attributable to a 2.6% increase in the pay gap among medical and dental staff over the past year.
However, it said there was almost no gender pay gap or any increase in the gap among the other five categories which include health and social care professionals, management and administrative staff, nurses and midwives as well as healthcare assistants and general support staff.
HSE the largest employer in the State with mostly female staff
The HSE is the largest employer in the State with a staff of 166,427 employees, equating to 148,111 whole-time equivalent staff in November 2024.
The figure includes voluntary hospitals and agencies funded by the HSE.
The HSE's current workforce is predominantly female with women accounting for 78% of all employees - ranging from 53% among medical staff to 90% of nurses and midwives.
The HSE pointed out that the gender pay gap tends to increase as the male to female ratio narrows.
It also noted that there was almost no pay gap between male and female staff among those earning salaries in all but the highest-earning quartile.
"The significance of the variance in the medical and dental staff category is important as these roles attract one of the highest levels of remuneration across our staff grades with the proportion of males/females in this staff category contributing to the overall gender pay gap changes in this year’s report," the HSE said.
It pointed out that the increase had occurred during a period of significant growth in medical and dental services together with the introduction of the new Public Only Consultant Contract with over 50% of its consultant workforce availing of the new contract type.
Additional services and more employees making gap wider
The HSE said the change in the gender pay gap was also partially driven by the incorporation of additional services and a greater number of employees into the calculation of figures for the 2024 report.
In response to the finding of the latest report, the HSE said it prided itself on being an equal opportunities employer and was committed to treating all employees equally.
It noted that pay rates as well as terms and conditions are determined and set centrally by the Department of Health and Department of Public Expenditure.
The HSE said they are based on grades as per published consolidated salary scales which are undifferentiated by gender.
It said a number of measures contained in its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy published in 2022 were likely to impact positively on gender inequality including a comprehensive equality-proofing HR policy.
