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Green Party wants a new July bank holiday and a citizens' assembly on a four-day work week

The four-day week and bank holiday proposals were highlighted in the Green Party’s election manifesto.

THE GREEN PARTY has called for a Citizens’ Assembly on a four-day work week in order to comb through issues such as people’s pay and its effect on the public service.

Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said it should be held after the planned citizens’ assembly on education, suggesting the second year in government with legislation implemented in the third year of government.

He said that flexible and remote work had achieved a better work-life balance for people, but it was now time to “take the next steps forward”.

He said that figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) suggests about a quarter of workers feel they get inadequate amount of leisure time and time with their families.

O’Gorman said this limited spare time has health, mental health and social impacts.

A Citizens’ Assembly was warranted because there were “complexities” to the suggestion, he added, particularly for the hospitality and public sectors.

It also raised questions on what people should be paid to work a four-day week.

“Fundamentally, we want to continue this effort to broaden out access to leisure time, broaden out access to caring time and benefit from the technological changes, AI changes, and make sure that those changes are benefiting workers in the same way that they’re often benefiting their companies,” he said on Monday.

The party is also pledging to hold an extra bank holiday in July.

This would bring Ireland’s total number of bank holidays up to 12, which is the European average.

Asked whether the four-day proposal was a bid to attract voters back to the Green Party, after they had fallen from 7% support in the general election to around 3-4% in current polls, O’Gorman said “no I don’t think so”.

“I think it speaks to the work we’ve already done with this government in terms of trying to help workers balance their work-life responsibilities with their caring responsibilities as well.

“So it’s consistent with the work-life balance act that I introduced, it’s consistent with the extension of breastfeeding breaks that I introduced, and it’s consistent with the introduction of the February bank holiday, which the Green Party championed.”

Asked about the possible challenges of a four-day work week, he added: “We’re not talking about immediate implementation. We’re talking about discussing it with social partners, see what are the benefits, see how we can support it.”

The four-day week and bank holiday proposals were highlighted in the Green Party’s election manifesto.

The party also proposed expanding the right to request flexible working to all workers, and not just those in caring roles; to transpose and legislate for the provisions of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, and to implement a living wage.

Other Green Party election pledges contained in its manifesto include spending 10 billion euros on public transport, a tax on business class flights and private jets, and a State-led childcare system.

It said it would oversee 50,000-53,000 new homes built a year, 15,000 of which would be affordable and 12,000 social; and create a means testing agency to simplify access to public services.

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    Mute Barry Goodwin
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    May 12th 2021, 1:58 PM

    Is there a chance the track would bend?

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    Mute Mark Dit
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    May 12th 2021, 2:00 PM

    @Barry Goodwin: if ya have nothing good to say just say nothing!

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    May 12th 2021, 2:04 PM

    @Barry Goodwin: haha Barry. Now I have that song stuck in my head.

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    Mute Elrond Rivendell
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    May 12th 2021, 2:25 PM

    @Barry Goodwin: Not on your life my Mancunian friend.

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    Mute Stephen Boland
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    May 12th 2021, 2:27 PM

    @Elrond Rivendell: what about us brain dead slobs?

    28
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    Mute Thomas McDonnell
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    May 12th 2021, 3:19 PM

    @Stephen Boland: you’ll be given cushy jobs

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    Mute Fergal O'Hagan
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    May 12th 2021, 3:21 PM

    @Stephen Boland: you’ll be given cushy jobs!

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    Mute Fergal O'Hagan
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    May 12th 2021, 3:23 PM

    @Thomas McDonnell: were you sent here by the devil?!

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    Mute Elrond Rivendell
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    May 12th 2021, 4:03 PM

    @Fergal O’Hagan: Not unless you’re Gary Neville!

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    Mute Conor Kirwan
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    May 12th 2021, 4:56 PM

    @Fergal O’Hagan: No good sir I’m on the level

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    Mute Lisa Jones
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    May 12th 2021, 3:16 PM

    Any chance of some public transport on the Northside? Sick of sitting ages in traffic AT 6am! Whats happening with Metro North? Or are we going to be constantly vilified for having to use the car? I have osteoarthritis before anyone mentioning cycling!

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    Mute Dublin days
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    May 12th 2021, 3:46 PM

    @Lisa Jones: traffic at 6am, where?

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    Mute Lisa Jones
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    May 12th 2021, 4:12 PM

    @Dublin days: From Crossguns bridge right through Phibsboro and over the 2 luas lines and right up as far as the quays. Lights stay red longer, lanes have been reduced to one lane. I have been working the whole last year starting work at 6.30am and traffic is getting mental. Yes even that early, most likely by people trying to avoid getting caught up in rush hour traffic.

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    Mute Shaner Mac
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    May 12th 2021, 5:10 PM

    @Lisa Jones: Metrolink – Metro North was the old plan – is still going ahead.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    May 12th 2021, 3:02 PM

    Is the electrification of the line to Maynooth included as was suggested last year? I don’t see it mentioned here but it has been on the table for years. Let’s hope this isn’t another endless pipe dream consultative process that will cost the taxpayer millions without a single sod turned like Metro North, the Royal Canal Greenway deep sinking project, the DART extension to Maynooth. Consultants and engineers making money left, right and centre for flashy drawings and brochures of fictitious, never to be built infrastructure.

    https://www.newstalk.com/news/irish-rail-reveals-details-plan-extend-dart-maynooth-1066555

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    Mute dreiglaser
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    May 12th 2021, 2:55 PM

    Extension from Heuston…does the dart go to Heuston??

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    Mute Kiern Mcx
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    May 12th 2021, 6:13 PM

    @dreiglaser: Not sure if you missed it but it says in the article a feasibility study and concept design would be undertaken for a future station at “Heuston West” (I assume that is within walking distance from the main Heuston station and it is a change stop), that line would run from Hazelhatch to Connolly via the Phoenix Park Tunnel

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    Mute Hugh Mc Donnell
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    May 12th 2021, 3:00 PM

    Well I hope they have better success than reopening the current line to navan, wasn’t even a priority for the greens

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    Mute iohanx
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    May 12th 2021, 6:05 PM

    @Hugh Mc Donnell:

    Public transport in Ireland is for the fairies.

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    Mute Hugh Mc Donnell
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    May 13th 2021, 7:58 AM

    @iohanx: there must be an election coming up, the usual empty promises and grand plans. Do politicians really think we believe this nonsense. It’s going on years now, metro North an underground Harcourt line to Bray navan rail line

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    Mute Sazzle
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    May 12th 2021, 1:48 PM

    But there’s a train

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    Mute Mark Dit
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    May 12th 2021, 1:57 PM

    @Sazzle: if you have nothing good to say just say nothing

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    Mute Paul
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    May 12th 2021, 2:06 PM

    @Mark Dit: Nothing

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    Mute Mark Dit
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    May 12th 2021, 2:17 PM
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    Mute This time its personable!
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    May 12th 2021, 2:33 PM

    @Mark Dit: sometimes saying nothing is good. I enjoyed Paul’s saying nothing, brightened up my day no end did that.

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    Mute Mark Dit
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    May 12th 2021, 7:14 PM

    @This time its personable!: this applies to you more than Paul

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/542402348873530616/

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    Mute Paul Maguire
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    May 12th 2021, 6:01 PM

    With the money in all of these reports and consultation over the years, they would have the price to pay for metro-north and the extension to the Dart line

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    Mute Tomo
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    May 12th 2021, 4:54 PM

    Should be extended to Sallins/Naas. What a wasted opportunity.

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    Mute Dave Connolly
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    May 12th 2021, 5:59 PM

    @Tomo: it should be all the way at to Portlaoise

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    Mute Dave Connolly
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    May 12th 2021, 5:57 PM

    So as per usual with the semi state and the department of wasting money. This will take years. Cost millions more than it should and be over loaded before it launches.

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    Mute Jason Walsh
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    May 12th 2021, 5:34 PM

    Needs to include a revamp of Hazelhatch Station. Secure bicycle parking, quicker access to platforms, hourly shuttle bus into Celbridge, go-car spaces.

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    Mute John O Connor
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    May 14th 2021, 1:49 PM

    Stations and commuters. Need I say more

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