Following representations by the ASTI, the Department of Education has clarified arrangements for the recently announced extra Bank Holiday as follows:
Following the Government decision of the 19th January 2022 a public holiday is to be held on 18 March 2022 in recognition of the efforts of the general public and Ireland’s frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the Government has also decided that there will be a new annual public holiday from 2023 in celebration of Imbolc/St Brigid’s day, which will be the first Monday in every February, except where the 1st day of February happens to fall on a Friday, in which case that day will be a public holiday. The first such public holiday will be Monday 6 February 2023. The school year will reduce from 183 to 182 days for primary schools and 167 to 166 days for post primary schools. This will take effect for the current school year 2021/22. This additional bank holiday will not impact on the standardised breaks set out in circular 0005/2020.
See Circular 0008/2022 New Public Holiday from 2022 here.
