Maynooth University (MU) has a deep commitment to equality and inclusion. Since 2022, all organisations with over 250 employees have been required to report on their Gender Pay Gap, as per the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021. MU welcomed the introduction of statutory gender pay gap reporting in Ireland as an important tool for promoting gender equality in the higher education sector.
Our 2023 Gender Pay Gap Report can be accessed at this link:
It is important to note that the gender pay gap does not indicate pay discrimination (i.e. an absence of equal pay for the same work, which was outlawed in the Republic of Ireland by equal pay legislation in 1975). Universities operate to nationally approved incremental published salary scales and follow good practice in their job sizing and pay progression policies, in line with the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission (IHREC) Code of Practice on Equal Pay.
While not constituting pay discrimination, a gap may indicate that there are differences in the roles that women are represented in compared to men. It is important to identify any barriers or biases that may lead to a gender pay gap and actively work to address these.
Using the snapshot date of 30/06/2023, MU’s mean hourly pay gap for all staff is 9.99% (Table 1).
Table 1: Maynooth University Gender Pay Gap Data (2023), using the snapshot date of 30/06/2023
| Mean Hourly Pay Gap — All Staff | Median Hourly Pay Gap — All Staff | Mean Hourly Pay Gap — Temporary Employees | Median Hourly Pay Gap — Temporary Employees | Mean Hourly Pay Gap —Part Time Employees | Median Hourly Pay Gap — Part Time Employees | |
| Maynooth University | 9.99% | 10.60% | 13.90% | 2.88% | 7.12% | 9.69% |
MU has a higher percentage of female staff in the lower, and lower middle quartile pay bands compared to the upper middle and upper quartile pay bands which are gender balanced (Table 2).
Table 2. Proportion of male and female employees in the lower, lower middle, upper middle and upper quartile pay bands (2023), using the snapshot date of 30/06/2023
| Quartile 1 Lower |
Quartile 2 Lower middle |
Quartile 3 Upper middle |
Quartile 4 Upper |
|
| Female | 66.77% | 65.71% | 57.69% | 48.24% |
| Male | 33.23% | 34.29% | 42.31% | 51.76% |
Applying the new analytical model used in 2023 to data from 2022 reveals a 2.96% increase in the Mean Hourly Pay Gap for all Staff in 2023 (Table 3):
Table 3. Maynooth University Gender Pay Gap Data (2022 vs 2023), using the snapshot date of 30/06/2022 and 30/06/2023
| Maynooth University | 2022 | 2023 | % Change |
| Mean Hourly Pay Gap – All Staff | 7.03% | 9.99% | +2.96% |
| Median Hourly Pay Gap – All Staff | 10.11% | 10.60% | +0.59% |
| Mean Hourly Pay Gap – Temporary Employees | -1.20% | 13.90% | +15.10 |
| Median Hourly Pay Gap – Temporary Employees | 4.00% | 2.88% | -1.12% |
| Mean Hourly Pay Gap – Part Time Employees | 9.10% | 7.12% | -1.98% |
| Median Hourly Pay Gap – Part Time Employees | 3.58% | 9.69% | +6.11% |
When comparing to the same dataset from 2022, the 2023 female relevant employee headcount has increased by 48, while the male relevant employee headcount increased by just 14. The proportion of female employees in the upper quartile band increased slightly from 47% in 2022, to 48% in 2023, whereas the proportion of female employees in the lower quartile band increased from 62% in 2022, to 67% in 2023.
Table 4. Proportion of female employees in the lower, lower middle, upper middle and upper quartile pay bands (2022 vs 2023), using the snapshot date of 30/06/22 and 30/06/2023
| Quartile | 2022 % F | 2023 % F | % Change |
| Quartile 1 Lower | 62.23% | 66.77% | +4.54% |
| Quartile 2 Lower middle | 66.67% | 65.71% | -0.96% |
| Quartile 3 Upper middle | 58.59% | 57.69% | -0.90% |
| Quartile 4 Upper | 46.80% | 48.24% | +1.44% |
MU recognises the importance of addressing the gender pay gap to ensure we continue to attract, develop, and retain talented people. Reasons for the Gender Pay Gap are likely to comprise a combination of institutional and external factors, including differences between men and women in length of service, historically gender segregated occupations, career progression, educational attainment and qualifications, the prevalence of full-time and part-time working, gender differences in salary relating to length of service (see CSO Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, Mean Earnings per Hour by Length of Service and Sex, 2022), the gendered nature of caring and family responsibilities, and the impact that this has on female career advancement.
Our 2022 Gender Pay Gap Report can be accessed at this link: Gender Pay Gap Report - MU 2022