HOPES THAT Ireland might turn Bloomsday into an annual public holiday were dashed yesterday when it was revealed that the troika of the IMF, European Commission and the ECB would probably have to be consulted about such a request.

Labour TD for Dublin Central Joe Costello asked the Cabinet to consider designating June 16th as a national holiday to celebrate Ireland’s “great literary tradition”.

Mr Costello, whose party introduced the May Day public holiday when last in office in the 1990s, pointed out that Ireland, with nine public holidays, was second to bottom on the EU league of public holidays after England and Wales, which have eight.

“Germany, which is regarded as a workhorse of industry, has 14 public holidays for its citizens.”

He said Northern Ireland had 10, including the July 12th commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne. “This public holiday is not the most inclusive for the entire population. A public holiday to celebrate our literary heritage could in time be extended to Northern Ireland because of its rich literary tradition, too, and could become an all-island festival of literature and culture,” Mr Costello suggested.

He added that Joycean scholars and enthusiasts first suggested a national holiday in 2004 on the centenary of Bloomsday. “The iconic day” was now marked by events in at least 60 countries.

“Such a festival of literature would be of significant commercial value to the country” as well as “commemorating and celebrating our rich literary heritage and being an inspiration to future generations of writers”.

Minister of State for Public Service Reform Brian Hayes said designating an additional public holiday “would need serious examination and consideration on a wide number of fronts”, and he stressed that “no such designation is at this moment being contemplated”.

“In the current challenging economic circumstances,” he said, “the matter of designation of an additional national holiday is not among the Government’s priorities.”

He added that it would probably require the agreement of the troika before moving on the issue.

Mr Hayes pointed out that the first Monday in June was already a bank holiday.

Any consideration of another holiday would have to look at “the implications and impact of any such designation on employment and for the economy at large, in particular the extra costs it would impose on employers” and the impact on the competitiveness of firms.