Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the recent findings of an EU survey published by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions which found that Irish workers had among the lowest number of days of annual leave and public holidays; his plans to provide for additional holiday entitlements or to create an additional public holiday; if these issues are likely to be addressed in any discussions on a new national agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31611/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, which implemented EU Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time, provides for an annual leave entitlement of four working weeks for full-time employees and pro-rata entitlements for part-time employees. The Act also provides for an entitlement to nine public holidays per annum.

Notwithstanding these provisions, it is possible for employers and employees to negotiate a longer annual leave entitlement between themselves if they so wish. The average public holiday entitlement in the EU at present is approximately 11 days per annum.

I have no proposals at the moment to increase either annual leave or public holiday entitlements. However, should these issues arise in the context of discussions on a new social partnership agreement, they will be considered at that stage.