Fianna Fáil Senator Fiona O'Loughlin has said the idea of a bank holiday to coincide with the Late Late Toy Show is a "tree-mendous" idea.
Ms O'Loughlin has said she is "delighted" to give her support to a petition calling for the new bank holiday.
“Every year, all of us look forward to the last Friday in November. The Late Late Toy Show is an institution for children of all ages and has played a big part in Christmas for many years now,” Ms O'Loughlin said.
“For so many it is the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year,” she added
“I feel it deserves to be recognised as a festive stand out in the lead up to Christmas.
"To recognise its significance in this regard, and to help children up and down the country prepare for the big night, I think it would be a tree-mendous idea to give them a dedicated bank holiday on that day.”
Her comments come amid ongoing discussions for a new bank holiday to say thank you to frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic.
There had been increasing consensus around January 31st becoming a bank holiday next year to tie in with St Brigid’s Day, which falls on Tuesday, February 1st.
However, according to a report in the Sunday Times, talks on the issue at the Labour Employer Economic Forum have been set aside following the recent uptick in Covid cases.
