Sir, - A small item in your Weekend section of March 10th hints that a one-off bank holiday should be instituted to make up for the foot-and-mouth cancellation of this year's St Patrick's Day events. The writer goes on to say that as this country has the lowest number of official annual holidays in the EU, such an extra day off might well be made permanent. Indeed it might; for please let's not forget that the matter has already been formally broached.
Only last year on International Women's Day, March 8th, and following a nationwide campaign, a motion in Seanad Eireann was put down by Senator David Norris and passed, nem. con., exactly to this effect. The House called on the Government "to consider the establishment of a national paid holiday to value women's work on February 1st (St Brigid's Day) annually, commencing 2001; and to devise and implement the necessary statistical means; to measure unpaid household, caring and community work".
Senator Norris stated that he had "received for this motion, a few thousand petitions from individuals and groups - a massive response". Minister of State Noel Treacy TD announced during the debate that he would "recommend .. . the possibility of the creation" of such a celebratory holiday.
I am sorry to say that so far the Government has been deaf to the Seanad's call and to Mr Treacy's recommendation. So may I hope that the present emergency will stir its collective memory and prompt it to effective action? -Yours, etc.,
John Arden, Corrandulla, Co Galway.