The Government has today approved the addition of St. Brigid’s Day (February 1st) as a public holiday, beginning in 2023. The Tánaiste also announced that this year, 2022, there will be a once-off public holiday of 18th March. This is a day of remembrance for the lives lost to Covid-19, and falls on the day following St. Patrick’s Day to allow a for four-day weekend. We are taking this opportunity to remind employers of the obligations that arise around public holidays.

In 2022, our 10 public holidays are

  • New Year’s Day- 1st January
  • St. Patrick’s Day -17th March
  • Once-Off Public Holiday in remembrance of the lives lost to Covid-19 -18th March
  • Easter Monday
  • May Day- The first Monday in May
  • The first Monday in June
  • The first Monday in August
  • The last Monday in October
  • Christmas Day- 25th December
  • St. Stephen’s Day 26th December

From 2023 onwards our ten public holidays will be:

  • New Year’s Day – 1st January
  • St. Brigid’s Day – 1st February
  • St. Patrick’s Day – 17th March
  • Easter Monday
  • May Day – The first Monday in May
  • The first Monday in June
  • The first Monday in August
  • The last Monday in October
  • Christmas Day -25th December
  • St. Stephen’s Day – 26th December

When a public holiday arises every employee is entitled to a paid day off on the day of the holiday, unless the employer decides to treat it as a normal working day. If the employer decides not to allow the public holiday or if the holiday falls on a day that is not a normal working day (such as a weekend), the employer may elect to give the employee either:

  • A day off within a month of the public holiday, with full pay
  • An additional day of annual leave
  • No additional day off, but an additional day’s pay.

All full-time employees are entitled to benefit from the above provisions, and part-time employees will be entitled if they have worked a total of 40 hours in the 5 weeks prior to the holiday. An employee who is not normally scheduled to work on the bank holiday is entitled to an additional one fifth of their normal weekly wage.

Employees who have been laid off are entitled to benefit from a public holiday that occurs within the first 13 weeks of lay off. Employees on maternity or other protected leave are entitled to the benefit from public holidays that arise during their leave.

The above is provided for information purposes and is not intended as legal advice. If you have questions about public holidays or any aspect of employment law we, at Fitzsimons Redmond LLP, would be happy to advise you on your next steps. Please contact us on 01-676 3257.

By Lisa Quinn O’Flaherty

Partner at Fitzsimons Redmond LLP