08 Feb 22

Public holidays in Ireland - changes in 2022 and beyond

In January, the Irish government announced the introduction of additional public holidays in Ireland which will impact the entitlements and treatment of same for your employees.

For 2022, there will be a once-off public holiday on Friday 18 March, in recognition of the lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and the momentous efforts of the general public during this period. As St. Patrick’s Day this year falls on Thursday 17 March, this will effectively mean a 3-day week.

From 2023 onwards, a new permanent public holiday will be established in celebration of St Brigid’s Day. This will take place on the first Monday of February each year, except where St Brigid’s Day falls on a Friday, in which case the Friday will be the public holiday.

Public holiday's in Ireland in 2022
Calendar

  • 1 January - New Year’s Day

  • 17 March - St Patrick’s Day

  • 18 March - Day of Remembrance & Commemoration

  • 18 April - Easter Monday

  • 2 May - Bank Holiday

  • 6 June - Bank Holiday

  • 1 August - Bank Holiday

  • 31 October - Bank Holiday

  • 25 December - Christmas Day

  • 26 December - St Stephen’s Day

Entitlements
Full-Time Employees

Full-time employees are entitled to paid leave on public holidays in the form of either:

  • a paid day off on the public holiday;

  • an additional day off annual leave;

  • an additional day’s pay; or

  • a paid day off within a month of the public holiday.

If a public holiday falls on a day which is not a normal working day (e.g. Saturday or Sunday), employees are entitled to benefits for the public holiday. They do not however have an automatic legal entitlement to leave on the next working day.

Part-Time Employees

Part-time employees are entitled to benefit for public holidays provided:

  • they have worked for their employer at least 40 hours in the previous 5 weeks before the public holiday; and

  • the public holiday falls on a day they would normally work.

Qualifying part-time employees who are required to work on the public holiday are entitled to an additional day’s pay.

Qualifying part-time employees who are not required to work on the public holiday are entitled to an additional one-fifth of their weekly pay.

For further information on understanding employee entitlements and their impact on your payroll operations please contact Yolanda Kelly or Henry Barrett.

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