Withdrawal of maternity leave directive is ‘scandalous’

Speaking from Brussels today Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada said that the decision by the European Commission to withdraw the proposed directive on maternity leave represented an attack on women’s rights and equality and would ultimately impact on children.

Liadh Ní Riada said:

“This proposal has been on the cards for seven years, and despite hard work by the Parliament over the last four years to break the deadlock between EU member states, negotiations were never endorsed.

“The proposed Maternity Leave Directive had the potential to provide mothers across Europe with decent and dependable maternity leave, and also contained strong provisions on paternity leave.

“Equality for women is still along way off in Ireland and across Europe, and the failure of the EU to provide a basic safety net for mothers is scandalous. As public faith in the EU as a force for social good is at its lowest ebb, this latest move does nothing to reassure.

“While Fine Gael and Labour continue their onslaught on women through cuts and the running down of services, the silence from their MEPs on this is very telling.

“Sinn Féin believes in a fair recovery for Ireland and we will fight alongside our colleagues from across the continent to deliver a fair, prosperous and social Europe.”