Galway City Councillor urges the public to know the difference between public and bank holidays

Galway Bay fm newsroom - With the bank holiday weekend upon us, the Galway public are being urged to ensure they know the difference between bank holidays and public holidays.

City Councillor Niall McNelis says both holidays are very often mixed-up, leading to confusion over pay, particularly at times like Christmas.

He's echoing a call made by Payroll Matters in Ireland, which has asked media and politicians to ensure correct titles are used.

Public holidays are legislated for by the Government and most employees are entitled to paid leave on these days.

While some businesses close on actual bank holidays, there is no automatic entitlement to pay.

Councillor McNelis feels it's very important that we make the distinction.