ABSTRACT
Work-life balance is a subject which has been increasingly recognised, internationally and in Ireland, as an important social policy issue. Esping-Andersen argues that “it is in large part the changing role of women that explains the new household structure, our altered demographic behaviour, the growth of the service economy and, as a consequence, the new dilemmas that the advanced societies face.” For Irish parents the interaction between the workplace and other aspects of life is becoming increasingly complex as working parents endeavour to balance responsibilities. This is further aggravated by the fact that there has been no statutory child-care policy in Ireland until very recently with public provision for the 0–3 age group extremely limited. Work-life balance has been a concern of the European Community for some time. The Commission initially tried to have a maternity directive which would require all member states to provide a certain amount of maternity leave.
