Public Holidays Entitlements
There are 10 public holidays in Ireland each year.
Public holidays may commemorate a special day or other event, for example, Saint Patrick’s Day (17 March) or Christmas Day (25 December).
On a public holiday, sometimes called a bank holiday, most businesses and schools close. Other services (for example, public transport) still operate but often have restricted schedules.
Upcoming public holidays:
Each of the 3 upcoming public holidays fall on a weekend day:
- October, Monday 31st October 2022
- Christmas Day, Saturday 25 December 2022
- Saint Stephen’s Day, Sunday 26 December 2022
- New Year’s Day, Saturday 1 January 2023
When a public holiday falls on a day which is not a ‘normal working day’ for that business (for example, on Saturday or Sunday), you are still entitled to benefit for that public holiday.
For example, you may get an extra day of annual leave, or an additional days pay, or a paid day off within a month of the public holiday. However, you do not have any automatic legal entitlement to have the next working day off work. See ‘Public holidays and your entitlements’ below.
Dates of public holidays
Public holidays are:
- New Year’s Day (1 January)
- First Monday in February, or 1 February if the date falls on a Friday (from 2023 onwards)
- Saint Patrick’s Day (17 March)
- Extra public holiday (18 March in 2022 only)
- Easter Monday
- First Monday in May
- First Monday in June
- First Monday in August
- Last Monday in October
- Christmas Day (25 December)
- Saint Stephen’s Day (26 December)
Public Holiday dates in Ireland
| 2022 | 2023 |
| 1 January | 1 January |
| 17 March | 6 February (new from 2023) |
| 18 March (in 2022 only) | 17 March |
| 18 April | 10 April |
| 2 May | 1 May |
| 6 June | 5 June |
| 1 August | 7 August |
| 31 October | 30 October |
| 25 December | 25 December |
| 26 December | 26 December |
Good Friday is not a public holiday. While some schools and businesses close on that day, you have no automatic entitlement to time off work on that day.
Public holidays and your entitlements
Most employees are entitled to paid leave on public holidays. There is an exception for certain part-time employees.
If you qualify for public holiday benefit, you are entitled to one of the following:
- A paid day off on the public holiday
- An additional day of annual leave
- An additional day’s pay
- A paid day off within a month of the public holiday
You can ask your employer at least 21 days before a public holiday, which of the alternatives will apply. If your employer does not respond at least 14 days before the public holiday, you are entitled to take the actual public holiday as a paid day off.
Your public holiday entitlements are set out in the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. You can also read about the appropriate rate of daily pay in the Organisation of Working Time (Determination of Pay For Holidays) Regulations (SI 475/1997).
Part-time employees
You are entitled to a day’s pay for the public holiday if you meet both these conditions:
- You have worked for your employer at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday
- The public holiday falls on a day you normally work
If you are required to work that day you are entitled to an additional day’s pay.
If you do not normally work on that particular day, you should get one-fifth of your weekly pay. Even if you are never rostered to work on a public holiday, you are entitled to one-fifth of your weekly pay as compensation for the public holiday.
When public holidays fall on a weekend
If the public holiday falls on a day which is not a normal working day for that business (for example, on Saturday or Sunday), you are still entitled to benefit for that public holiday. However, you do not have any automatic legal entitlement to have the next working day off work.
Fort further information on Public Holidays in Ireland – CLICK HERE
