Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I am quite serious. A space is created. I commend the people of Cork who brought forward the jazz festival but they chose to take a window of opportunity, a public holiday weekend. Dublin City Council did likewise when Noel Carroll initiated the Dublin City Marathon. On one occasion 15,000 people ran in the city marathon, creating a buzz and opportunities for employment and wealth creation.

Public holidays of a structured kind, to which I refer, can create business, employment and local tourism opportunities that do not currently exist. Flexibility for individuals means that if they have 20 working days leave, it can be tailored to family circumstances through negotiation with employers. The public holiday concept is one around which we can build festivals and celebrations of any kind across the city. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider the issue in the dying days of this Administration.

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