How do Ireland’s maternity policies measure up to those in other European countries?
Mothers here receive 26 weeks of fully or partially paid leave and can claim up to 16 weeks of unpaid leave. Additionally, each parent is entitled to nine weeks of leave, which must be used before the child turns two.
Altogether, a fully employed new mother in Ireland can stay home with her baby for at least the first year. If they’re fortunate enough to secure a spot, their child then starts in a creche.
Under current EU legislation, maternity leave - including both prenatal and postnatal periods - must last a minimum of 14 weeks and be compensated at least at the national sick pay level. Beyond these basic requirements, each EU country designs its own maternity leave policies.
Flexible conditions for German mothers
Germany is known for its generous approach. Women can take up to three years off after childbirth with job security guaranteed. The decision rests entirely with the mother - employers have no say over the duration of her leave.
Despite this flexibility, most women return to work after an average of 14 months. Financial considerations play a role: during the first year, new mothers receive 65% of their salary, capped at €1,800 per month, but payments drop significantly afterward.
To maintain a better work-life balance, many German women choose reduced hours upon returning - a common and widely accepted practice.
This flexibility makes Germany "a good place to raise a child," says Julia Stolley, a 34-year-old mother of three from Hamburg.
She returned to full-time work after a year at home with her children.
While satisfied with her experience, Ms Stolley notes that longer prenatal leave for twin pregnancies would have been helpful.
Commuting two hours daily on public transport in late pregnancy was increasingly difficult. In Germany, expectant mothers must stop working at least six weeks before their due date - compared to just two weeks in Ireland.
German children are eligible for a place in a state-subsidised childcare facility, or kindergarten, from the age of 12 months. Unlike in Ireland, where mothers often scramble for creche spots as soon as they confirm their pregnancy, German families cannot apply before the baby is born.
Applications are centralised through a state-run platform where creche managers review submissions and contact families directly.
Parents in Germany also receive €250 per month in child benefits (kindergeld) until their child turns 18, compared to €140 in Ireland.
Not enough time to "bond with baby" for French mothers
In France, new mothers employed in the private sector receive 16 weeks of paid maternity leave - six weeks before birth and 10 weeks after. Some prenatal leave can be transferred to the postnatal period.
An additional year of parental leave is available, but it comes without financial support or with very little pay.
Nathalie Blanchard, a teacher from Baillet-en-France near Paris, extended her paid leave with three months of minimally paid additional leave, allowing her to stay home with her son Tristan for his first five months.
Even so, she found returning to work so early extremely difficult.
"I cried the night before," she recalls.
Returning to full-time hours immediately after maternity leave also felt abrupt to the young mother. Had she been financially able, Nathalie would have gladly stayed home longer.
While she appreciates France’s free healthcare for mothers and babies, she believes women aren’t given "enough time to bond" with their children. Flexible work arrangements are also difficult to negotiate.
French fathers are entitled to 25 days of paternity leave - more than the two weeks granted to Irish fathers.
Childcare can be another challenge in France. Securing a spot in a public creche is notoriously difficult, while private daycare facilities are expensive. The availability of places varies by region, with as few as six spots per 100 children in some areas.
For Nathalie and her husband, hiring a nanny was the best solution. Given their teaching schedules and long summer breaks, they only need to pay for 38 weeks of care per year, making it a viable option.
France does not provide child benefits for a firstborn, but families with two children receive just over €150 per month.
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No protection for women on precarious contracts in Poland
On the other side of the EU, Polish mothers face different challenges. They are entitled to a full year of leave: 20 weeks of maternity leave at full pay, followed by 32 weeks of parental leave at 70% salary.
However, many Polish women are employed under "contracts of services" or so-called "trash contracts," which offer no maternity protections.
Media producer Olga Galecka, a mother of eight-month-old Sylwester, is among the 2.4 million Poles working on precarious terms.
Olga says she is "lucky" with her job and her employer was "very understanding". There is a verbal agreement between them for her to return to work later in the year. Legally, however, Olga doesn’t currently have a job after her last short-term contract finished last year.
Polish families can choose between public and private creches, with the latter comprising 75% of childcare options. Monthly costs range from €200 to €500, with public daycare being the more affordable option. Families receive €190 per month in child benefits.
Grandparents and extended family members often play a key role in childcare. They can even receive €360 per month from the government for looking after their relatives' children.
Gender-neutral approach in Scandinavia
Other EU states follow similar patterns with partially paid and unpaid leave for mothers and fathers.
The Nordic countries are the ones who traditionally stand out for offering the most generous and flexible setups.
Swedish legislation is more gender neutral than other EU members, with the term "parental leave" used rather than maternity leave. Both parents share a total of 480 days of leave, paid at 80% of their salary.
Each parent must take at least 90 days - far more than the maximum of 14 days of paternity leave available in Ireland. Parents can also take unpaid leave until the child turns 18 months.
Norway and Finland also offer a progressive parental leave system that includes a quota specifically for fathers.
While Ireland’s maternity leave compares well to other EU countries, Irish fathers are still far behind in terms of entitlements. Greater parental leave equality could be the next crucial step in improving family life, ensuring that the responsibility, and joy, of early childcare is truly shared.
