A political analyst says Fine Gael will have to "impose" women candidates in four consistencies to meet its gender quota.

Odran Flynn says: "Fine Gael have a problem - they've all their conventions completed and they're four women short".

"They've going to have to impose four women in constituencies to get to 30%", he added.

Gender quotas in politics have been an ongoing cause of controversy, especially for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

A Fianna Fáil selection convention descended into chaos after Connie Gerety-Quinn was confirmed as the general election candidate for Longford last week.

The decision was greeted with widespread animosity by a crowd of around 300 delegates - many of whom called for the convention to be adjourned.

At one stage, a walk-out was threatened.

The decision is part of adherence by Fianna Fáil to rules that say all parties have to have 30% female candidates or they lose out State funding for the general election.

Newstalk.com's Shona Murray spoke to a few people affected - for better or worse - by the directive.

Political analyst Odran Flynn told Newstalk Breakfast the problem is really only between two of the large parties.

It comes as figures from the European Commission show that men are paid an average 14% more an hour than women in Ireland.

In the EU, male workers earn an average 16% more an hour compared with women.

Research reveals that pay gaps exist in all sectors and occupations.

The pay gap is found to widen between men and women as people get older - and this also leads to a pensions gap as well.

The stats were released as part of annual Equal Pay Day.