Women are still earning substantially less than men in Ireland despite efforts to promote equality in the workplace.

According to a study by the European Commission, women here earn on average 17.1 per cent less than men.

The study also indicated that only 123,000 women in Ireland earn more than €50,000 per year in comparison to 254,000 men.

The report, published to coincide with European Equal Pay Day, noted the gender pay gap existed even though women did better at school and university than men.

The study indicated that younger women suffered less pay discrimination than their older colleagues.