Opening supermarkets 24 hours a day, all year round, would place "unnecessary" pressure on staff who work in such shops, the Taoiseach has said. Speaking to 98FM news, Mr Ahern said 24-hour supermarkets are "not something that the public are demanding".
"There is a Christmas requirement, I think, as obviously people are busy at Christmas, but to do that on an all-year-round basis is, I think, just pressing the staff and the workers to an unnecessary degree."
The Taoiseach's comments come following an announcement by Tesco that it is planning to open its Rathmines supermarket in Dublin on a 24-hour basis. He was speaking at the official opening of MANDATE's refurbished head office at Cavendish Row in Dublin.
MANDATE represents retail and bar workers.
Earlier, Mr Owen Nulty, the union's general secretary, asked the Taoiseach to support the union's call for a referendum on a constitutional amendment which would enable the Oireachtas to legislate for the control of shop opening hours. His union's legal advice was that the Constitution would prohibit the introduction of such legislation. The union has proposed that article 43(2) of the Constitution be amended to allow the Government to impose such regulations.
Mr Nulty said Ireland was behind the rest of Europe in having "considered debate and discussion on the issue of extended opening hours. Almost uniquely in Europe, no regulatory framework exists in Ireland to control opening hours and put protections in place for retail workers. One of the major obstacles in this regard is the Constitution." He said the State's policy on extended opening hours was being driven by the large retail multiples and the recent proposal by Tesco to open its Rathmines store on a 24-hour basis highlighted the need for debate.
