Should Christmas Eve Be a Public Holiday? Episode 601

Today on the show, Niall opens the phone lines to debate a question that always sparks strong opinions at this time of year:
Should Christmas Eve be a public holiday in Ireland?

The discussion follows news from the US, where President Trump has signed an executive order declaring Christmas Eve and December 26th as federal holidays. While federal holidays aren’t the same as bank holidays, it raises an interesting question closer to home.

On one side of the argument, callers say Christmas Eve is already half a day in reality — schools are closed, offices wind down, and families want time together without rushing or taking annual leave. Supporters argue a Christmas Eve bank holiday would improve work-life balance and recognise the importance of family time.

On the other side, business owners — especially in retail, hospitality, and small businesses — warn that another paid public holiday comes at a serious cost. Christmas Eve is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and closing or paying premium wages could seriously hit margins.

💶 So what would it actually cost?
Ireland has roughly 2.6 million people in work.
Using a conservative average daily wage of around €180, one extra paid public holiday could cost Irish businesses approximately:

€460–€500 million

That figure doesn’t include knock-on effects like lost retail sales, overtime premiums, or reduced productivity — but it also doesn’t factor in potential benefits such as higher morale, better staff retention, and improved work-life balance.

So what do you think?
👉 Should Christmas Eve be a paid public holiday?
👉 Or is it one day too far for Irish business?
👉 Who should carry the cost — employers, the state, or no one at all?

💬 Have your say — comments and voice notes to WhatsApp 085 100 22 55.