Ireland is best at looking after new mothers, says Brussels
The Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla is hoping other EU countries adopt Ireland's maternity leave system.
THE EU wants to move to Irish-style maternity benefits.
Brussels wants women to have 18 weeks paid maternity leave across the EU, an improvement of four weeks on the current EU minimum of 14 weeks.
And during their leave, they should be paid at least the same as they would get on sick pay.
The plans were unveiled in Brussels by the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla.
Costs
Having children too often costs women their income and job prospects, he said.
"Our proposals will help women to combine work and family life, improving their own and their family's quality of life."
"It will also help Europe to face up to the challenges of an ageing society," he said.
A spokesperson for the EU Commission in Ireland said that we were already "ahead of the game".
"Women have the right to 26 weeks leave on benefit and a further 16 weeks unpaid.
"Irish maternity benefit is better than the State sick pay.
"It's probably one of the reasons why we have a high rate of women in the workplace relative to our EU neighbours and why our birth rate is one of the highest."
Ageing
The EU say that from 2010, there will be more Europeans in their 60s than in their 20s.
It says that good quality, affordable childcare is seen as the key to allowing women to work, but here Ireland fared less well.
Women will also have the right to ask for flexi time -- but employers will still have the right to refuse.
- Michael Lavery
