The announcement of a new October bank holiday by minister for labour Michael O'Leary may have delighted workers in 1977, but it came as an unpleasant surprise to his ministerial colleagues and employers.
Government files released by the National Archives suggest that O'Leary did a "solo run" in February 1977 when he announced that the last Monday in October would be a new public holiday.
The minister for finance Richie Ryan tried to have the decision reversed by the cabinet the following month. A memo from his department to government said Mr Ryan was "extremely concerned" about the announcement and he "strongly" recommended that the additional "holiday should not [underlined] be proceeded with at this stage".
He accused his ministerial colleague of "making the announcement contrary to the government's decision" and said it was "entirely unnecessary and inappropriate" at that time. The concession was equal to a 0.5 per cent increase in wages, he added.
Ryan also warned cabinet colleagues that if the bank holiday was introduced, "the extra cost arising in the public service will have to be borne within existing budgetary allocations".
O'Leary's surprise announcement also angered the Irish Employers' Confederation (IEC) who wrote to the taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, complaining there had been no prior consultation.
The IEC secretary said it was "seriously concerned" about the matter because no claim had been made for the new holiday during pay negotiations and this would now add to costs.
It was "at variance with everything the minister for labour and, indeed, the minister for finance have been saying in recent months". However, O'Leary held firm and he signed regulations in June to sanction the new public holiday.
