Enjoy The Holiday! - Quinn
Issued : Monday 7 May, 2007
Statement by Ruairi Quinn TD
Minister for Education and Skills
Enjoy your Bank Holiday Monday with Labour. That's the message today from Ruairi Quinn TD, Labour Party election candidate, Dublin South East. Ruairi Quinn and his election team are today distributing leaflets to residents of Rathgar, Ranelagh, Sandymount, Portobello and other areas of the city reminding them that it was Ruairi Quinn himself who, in 1993, declared the first Monday in May as a public holiday.
Ruairi Quinn said: May Day is a commemoration of the historic role played by workers in shaping the more democratic and inclusive societies we live in now compared to those of a hundred years ago.
"I was proud in 1993, as Minister for Enterprise & Employment, to sign the order making this a Public Holiday. The event was even happier as I signed the order on my birthday that year - 2nd April.
"Yet despite this, Ireland still has one of the lowest number of public holidays in the EU.
"Labour knows that we all benefit when we have time to be with our families and loved ones, time to contribute to our communities, time to enjoy the fruits of our hard work.
"That is why Labour, if elected to government, wants to introduce two additional annual public holidays to bring us into line with the rest of Europe . Happy May Day and looking forward to more!"
