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<\/p>\nClose the Gap: NWC demands better leave for parents<\/p>\n
Published: Wednesday, March 04, 2026<\/p>\n
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At a rally at the D\u00e1il today (4 March), the National Women\u2019s Council (NWC) called for better-paid and more family leave. Ahead of International Women\u2019s Day, NWC say maternity, paternity, adoptive, and parent\u2019s benefit must be linked to income, and it should be expanded to cover at least the first year of a child\u2019s life. Ireland is unique in the EU as the only country that does not link family leave to income.<\/p>\n
Launching a new booklet on Family Leave in Ireland, NWC Executive Director Corrinne Hasson said:<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies in Ireland deserve better than this. Many cannot afford to take their full entitlements because it amounts to less than half the minimum wage for a week\u2019s work. Some women receive top-ups from their employers, but this is less likely in low-paid or precarious work. It\u2019s not acceptable that there is this variation between women, the State should be guaranteeing a decent level of income for every new parent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Research has shown that not linking family leave to earnings results in lower take-up rates, particularly of paternity leave. Currently, just 53% of new fathers take paternity leave, and only 26% take parents\u2019 leave. This reinforces a system whereby women in Ireland still carry out twice as much care as men.<\/p>\n
The first year of a child\u2019s life is crucial. In the new booklet, NWC calls for family leave to be expanded to cover at least this year; for family leave to be paid at an adequate rate. NWC also reiterates its long-standing call for public childcare. This should kick in from at least age one to close the care gap between family leave and the beginning of early years education and care.<\/p>\n
Donal Swan, Senior Policy Coordinator at NWC, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a long stretch between the end of paid family leave, at 46 weeks, and starting primary education at 4 or 5. With no guarantee of a place in early years education many parents are left unsupported during this period. Women are much more likely to take unpaid time off or move into part-time employment to plug this gap. This has long-term consequences for women\u2019s education, careers, and pensions. It\u2019s high time that when family leave ends, accessible and affordable childcare kicks in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Corrinne Hasson continued<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen huge public investment in the childcare sector over the past number of years, but parents are still struggling to find a place, and to pay for it. Government needs to transition to a public model; it is the only model that can deliver affordability and suitability for every child in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Find here NWC\u2019s information booklet on family leave across the EU<\/p>\n