Corrinne Hasson: Caring for children affects women more, and a change is needed

Published: Monday, March 09, 2026

The time between the birth of a child and their first day of school is both a lifetime and the blink of an eye for parents.

The support society provides to parents during this time is essential. Paid leave from work allows parents to care for their child in those crucial first years of life.

However, in Ireland today, many parents are faced with a long care gap in their child’s early years. Family leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoptive, and Parent’s leave) is not paid enough to provide an income replacement, and it doesn’t even cover the first year of a child’s life.   

It’s a long stretch from the end of paid family leave (46 weeks) to when children can start school at 4 or 5. This “Care Gap” disproportionately affects women. Often the lower earners in heterosexual couples, women are more likely to take unpaid time off or move into part-time employment to care for children. This has long-term implications for women’s education, careers, and pensions.

Family Leave

The various family leave supports are paid at a flat rate of €289 per week. This rate is well below what a family can survive on, even without the costs of a new baby. It is significantly below the National Minimum Wage, which is €566 per week for a full-time worker.

Read that again. Maternity leave is paid at half the minimum wage.

Ireland is the only country in the European Union that does not link family leave rates to incomes. Every other country ensures, to some degree, that when a parent goes on leave to care for a child after birth or adoption a significant proportion of their income is replaced.

To give two examples, Sweden provides paid leave amounting to 16 months between both parents. There is a guaranteed right to childcare from one year of age, giving parents real choice about when their child should start. In Germany, after an initial 14-week maternity leave period paid at 100% of income, either parent can avail of leave paid at 65% of their income for a year. And again, childcare kicks in from age one.  

Back in Ireland, some women and parents can avail of higher rates of pay from their employers. But this is less likely to be the case for women in lower-paid, precarious work. Parents should not be at the mercy of their employers as to whether they can avail of properly paid leave – this should be guaranteed by the state.

Research has shown that not linking family leave to earnings results in lower take-up rates, particularly of paternity leave. This reinforces a system where women do twice as much unpaid care work as men.

If we want to move towards gender equality and a real sharing of care in our families and communities, we need to ensure that everyone is supported to take time out of employment for their children. This means linking family leave payments to income. It also means closing the care gap by extending family leave to the first year and guaranteeing a childcare place from at least one.

Childcare

Because the challenges don’t end when maternity leave ends. Childcare services, if a suitable place is available, are incredibly expensive. Despite subsidies, the Government’s affordability commitment of €200 per month is a long way off. And the first legally guaranteed place for a child is primary school.

For The National Women’s Council, the only way to ensure access to affordable, inclusive, and high-quality early childhood education and care services is to move towards a public system of childcare where every child has a guaranteed right to a place. This will not happen overnight, but key immediate steps like the state paying educators’ wages – just like primary school teachers – and rolling out state childcare services in the most underserved areas, will help to provide places for the families that need it most.

Closing the Gap

Closing the gap between family leave and childcare is about giving parents real choice. Every family is different, every child’s needs are different, and everyone will approach the first five years of their child’s life in a different way. But right now many women feel like they don’t have any options.

The plans and ideas are there already. The Programme for Government commits to implementing Pay-Related Parent’s Benefit, and to expanding family leave entitlements – this needs to happen as a matter of urgency. State investment in childcare must continue to grow, but it must be coupled with the structural reform necessary to turn early childhood education and care into a genuinely accessible and inclusive public service.

With a bit of political will we can close the gap, and transform the lives of children, women, parents, and families in this country.

Corrinne Hasson is the Executive Director of the National Women's Council. 

This opinion piece was first published in the Irish Independent, 4th March 2026