Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has any jurisdiction over store opening hours, for example Sundays or on St. Stephen's Day. [55612/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The law on trading hours of shops is the Shops (Hours of Trading) Act 1938. This Act was introduced for the purpose of controlling competition in the retail sector through the making of regulations which controlled the closing time for shops in specific areas and for specific sectors.

A Statutory Instrument was made in 1938 (S.I. No. 188 of 1938) which exempts the whole country from any restrictions on Sunday trading. I have been made aware of some limited opening of shops on public holidays but I have no powers under the Act to close shops completely on specific days. Neither can I regulate trading hours on public holidays such as St. Stephen’s Day under the Act.

There is however protection for employees under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. Under this Act, employees have rights in respect of nine public holidays during the year. The options open to employees who have to work on public holidays are an additional day’s pay or a paid day off within a month of the day or an additional day of paid annual leave.