The Employment Equality and Institutional Burials (Amendment) Act 2026 has now been signed into law, paving the way for mandatory reporting through the Government’s Gender Pay Gap Portal for the 2026 reporting cycle.
As discussed in our earlier article, the portal was launched in 2025 on a voluntary basis. Use of the portal will now be mandatory for in scope employers from the end of November 2026. With the reporting deadline approaching, we answer some of the key questions for employers.
Does this Only Apply to Companies with 250 or More Employees?
No.
Ireland’s gender pay gap reporting requirements initially applied to employers with at least 250 employees, but the scope of the regime has since expanded.
Although the relevant regulations have not yet been published, the Government has updated its guidance to confirm that employers with over 50 employees will be required to report via the portal for the 2026 reporting cycle.
We Already Publish Our Gender Pay Gap Report on Our Website. Do We Still Need to Use the Portal?
Yes.
Reporting through the portal is an additional requirement. Employers must submit their gender pay gap information through the portal and must also continue to publish their report on their own website or otherwise ensure that it is publicly accessible in accordance with existing requirements.
Is Publication on the Portal the Only New Requirement?
Not necessarily.
Further detail on the precise reporting requirements will be set out in separate regulations. The Employment Equality and Institutional Burials (Amendment) Act 2026 provides that those regulations may require employers to confirm the accuracy of the information and accompanying statement submitted, insofar as they are aware at the time of reporting.
Additionally, the regulations may also allow the Minister to review an employer’s statement explaining the reasons for its gender pay gap and the measures being taken to address it. Where a statement does not meet the prescribed requirements, an employer could be required to amend and resubmit it.
The regulations may also provide for the publication and comparison of reported information across employers and business or employment sectors.
When Do We Need to Report?
This remains unchanged.
Employers select a snapshot date in June and have five months from that date to report. The relevant reporting deadline for this year will therefore fall in November 2026. For example, an employer which selected 30 June 2026 as its snapshot date has a reporting deadline of 30 November 2026.
What Should Employers Do Now?
Employers in scope should ensure that they are registered on the Gender Pay Gap Portal (available here) and ready to comply with both elements of their publishing obligations this November: reporting through the portal and separately making their gender pay gap report publicly available, for example on their website, in accordance with existing requirements. The portal is already open for employer registration.
If you require assistance with your 2026 gender pay gap reporting obligations, please contact your usual Littler contact.
