THE DIFFERENCE IN the amount of money women earn versus that of men is still too large in Ireland and across the European Union, according to Labour MEP Emer Costello.

In an interview with Karen Coleman from radioep.ie today, Costello said the pay gaps of 16 per cent in the European Union at large and of 14 per cent in Ireland are “still unacceptably high”.

“I think what we need to say is that gender equality has always been a core value of the European Union,” she said. “The European Union has, in many ways, done much to advance women’s rights and we cannot let the crisis unravel and roll back on the process that has been made.”

Costello was speaking today after a Eurobarometer report on how women were affected by the crisis was discussed in the European Parliament. The report showed that 38 per cent of Europeans rank the pay gap as the most important gender inequality followed jointly by violence against women and the greater difficulties for women in reconciling their private and working lives.

Almost one in three Europeans said that the crisis has, in particular, worsened the pay gap and 21 per cent said they would like the issue to be tackled as a priority for the next election in 2014.

Listen to Costello’s comments in full here (MP3).

Read: Impact of crisis on women “overlooked by policy makers”>

Read: Minister says gender equality crucial to reshaping society and economic recovery>