Family Leave Policy: A Chance For Change

Frances Fitzgerald - Office Mum post

"Ireland is better than the US but not as good as Scandinavia," I said to the public policy student who was sitting beside me, "I'd say we fall somewhere in the middle." We were at "Families and Work: A Chance for Change", a seminar organised by Start Strong, the National Women's Council and ICTU, ahead of ...

Office Mum stories – Martha Kearns

Office Mum interview: Martha Kearns

“Leave the guilt at the door. It's not helping anyone and just stresses you out : no one else” This week’s interview is with Martha Kearns, a journalist and mother of two. Originally from Sligo, she has lived in Dublin for 20 years. Martha is the News Editor of the Sunday Business Post. She is married to ...

Office Mum stories – Sinéad Crowley

office mum interview: Sinéad Crowley

“I have guilty moments, I think most mothers do. Fathers tend not to, which is interesting; most men I know are pragmatic about it. Work has to be done, bills have to be paid” This week’s Office Mum interview is with Sinéad Crowley; journalist, RTE Arts and Media correspondent and mother of two. A self-confessed internet ...

Office Mum stories – Emily Hourican

Office Mum interview: photo of Emily Hourican

“If the whole world worked part-time – three days a week, or five mornings/ afternoons – we would all be much happier, and less judgemental about each other!” I couldn’t agree more. This week I meet journalist Emily Hourican who is the author of the recently-published How To Really Be A Mother, a book about having ...

Office Mum stories – Laura Kenny

office mum interview  - photo of Laura Kenny

“I did start off a level above my husband when we were both working in the same company doing similar jobs. While I started off ahead, he moved much, much faster through the career ladder” In this week’s interview, I meet Laura Kenny, a working mother of two living in the sunny south-east. She writes the ...

Office Mum stories: Fiona Kennedy

Fiona Kennedy

“lower your standards! Housework can wait.                                                                                     If everyone is fed and in clean clothes you're ...

Office Mum stories: June Tinsley

J

“it is the simple things that I find the hardest – like my child being invited to a birthday party mid-week and I can’t bring them, so have to ask another parent to bring him so he doesn’t miss out” The first interview for 2014 is with June Tinsley who is the National Policy Officer in ...

the work conversation

Mothers: what is the solution? With working outside the home I mean, and the attempts to balance. I have never met a mother with whom I haven't had this conversation - the one about work. All of the below conversations took place over a two week period, just a typical fortnight of interactions: "So you work outside the ...