We Should Have 3 More Bank Holidays

People Before Profit will once again introduce a Bill to increase public holidays 'Workers would get an extra "bank holiday'" in September and November.'

Carlow People Before Profit Councillor Adrienne Wallace. Original Image attributed to Ken Maguire/KCLR

Paul Murphy TD said 'Whenever the Government finally allows normal Dáil business to resume, People Before Profit will introduce a Bill to increase the number of Bank Holidays in Ireland. 

'In 2021 our party proposed a Bill that would have created three extra bank holidays. The dates included in the Bill were February 1st, the last Monday in September and the last Monday in November in each calendar year. Subsequently, under pressure, the Government agreed to a single bank holiday for 1st February, and workers will benefit from that next Monday.'

Carlow Cllr Adrienne Wallace added 'Ireland still lags behind many EU countries in bank holiday entitlements. Ireland has 20 days minimum holiday entitlements and 11 paid public holidays. In contrast, Germany and Sweden have 13 paid public holidays, Italy has 14 and Austria has 15.

Workers in Ireland are still lagging behind their European counterparts in terms of paid holiday entitlements and the government should pass this straightforward Bill without opposition to legislate two new bank holiday dates – in September and November. It’s the least workers can expect from the new Government.'