Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

As the last office holder to introduce a public holiday, the May bank holiday Monday announced in 1993 and introduced in 1994, I would indicate the difference between a public holiday and the flexibility of annual leave. A family can adjust the taking of annual leave to meet particular requirements and the difference between this and public holidays is succinct and important.

For example, the public holiday introduced by the late Michael O'Leary in October resulted in, among other things, the jazz festival in Cork and the Dublin City Marathon.

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