Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 11th February, 2022.

I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 7 of, and paragraph 1(g) of the Second Schedule to, the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (No. 20 of 1997) and the Employment Affairs and Employment Law (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 438 of 2020 ) (as adapted by the Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 519 of 2020 )), hereby make the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Organisation of Working Time (Covid-19 Commemoration) Regulations 2022.

2. In these Regulations, “Act of 1997” means the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (No. 20 of 1997).

3. The 18^th day of March 2022 is prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 1 of the Second Schedule to the Act of 1997.

4. Subject to Regulation 5, the first Monday in February 2023 and the first Monday in February each year thereafter is prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 1 of the Second Schedule to the Act of 1997.

5. Regulation 4 shall not apply in any year where the 1st day of February falls on a Friday and instead, in each such year, the 1^st day of February is prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 1 of the Second Schedule to the Act of 1997.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

7 February, 2022.

LEO VARADKAR,

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

These Regulations appoint the 18th of March 2022 a public holiday in celebration of the recognition of the efforts of the general public and Ireland’s frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic and remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Regulations are made pursuant to paragraph 1(g) of the Second Schedule to the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 which allows days to be prescribed as public holidays for the purposes of the Act. This will be a once off new public holiday which will fall on the 18th of March 2022.

These regulations further appoint the first Monday in every February to be a public holiday, except where the 1st day of February happens to fall on a Friday in which case that day will be a public holiday, every year in celebration of Imbolc/St. Brigid’s day. It marks the half-way point between the winter solstice and the equinox, the beginning of spring and the Celtic New Year. The first such public holiday will be Monday 6th February 2023.