A new public holiday on St Brigid’s Day, a €1,000 tax-free payment in recognition of the efforts of frontline healthcare workers in the pandemic, and a special once-off bank holiday on 18 March 2022 have been announced by the government.

The aim of the measures is to recognise the efforts of the general public, volunteers and all workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, and to remember the more than 6,000 people who lost their lives.

The €1,000 ‘recognition payment’ will go to frontline health and ambulance workers on the state payroll, with the same going to relevant staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices.

February 1 is Imbolc in the Celtic calendar, sacred to the goddess Brigid, which morphed into St Brigid’s Day — Lá Fhéile Bríde — under the influence of Christianity.

The new permanent public holiday will celebrate this day, falling on  the closest Monday to February 1 from next year onwards — except when February 1 happens to be a Friday, in which case the holiday will take place that day.

In Association with

Arts and tourism minister Catherine Martin said: “Lá Fhéile Bríde is a day to celebrate Irish women – our stories, our passions, our innovations and our strengths. Brigid was in many ways our first feminist, our first environmentalist and, of course, has deep associations with the Celtic festival Imbolc, which marks the first day of Spring. I’m delighted we are finally giving Brigid her proper place in Ireland’s culture and celebrations.

“This time of year is also the longest period without a bank holiday, which stretches from New Year’s Day to St Patrick’s Day, March 17th. Lá Fhéile Bríde marks the coming of Spring and will give people a much needed day to reflect and celebrate nature, renewal and the importance of protecting our biodiversity and natural resources.”

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar (pictured) added: “ The creation of a tenth public holiday will bring Ireland more into line with the European average, and it is one of five new workers’ rights that I am establishing this year. The others are the right to statutory sick pay, the right to request remote working, new rights around redundancy for people laid off during the pandemic, and better protection of workplace tips.”