School Year 2007/08

October 2007 mid-term break - All schools will close from 29th October to 2nd November 2007 inclusive

Christmas 2007 - All schools will close on 21st December 2007 which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on 7th January 2008

February 2008 mid-term break - Post-Primary schools will close from 11th to 15th February 2008 inclusive. 
Primary schools will close from 14th to 15th February 2008 inclusive. (Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break).

Easter 2008 - All schools will close on 14th March 2008 which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on 31st March 2008.

Secondary schools (asides from leaving cert & junior cert examination years) close during the week before the June bank holiday (Monday June 02, 2008), i.e. during week commencing Monday 26 May 2008.

Primary schools close towards the end of June, at the principals discretion.

Extract from Circular M21/04

Religious Observance and standardisation

The above arrangements are agreed without prejudice to closure on specific days, within the overall requirement of 167 days at post primary level and 183 days at primary level, dictated by religious observance that is required in schools under the patronage of different denominations or faiths.

In the absence of an adequate number of discretionary days a school authority may choose to utilize a religious observance day for non-tuition purposes when planning the school year.

Extent of flexibility

It was not a requirement of this agreement that the commencement or end of the school year either at primary or post primary level should be standardised. However while schools may use their discretionary days, where available, to determine the precise start and end of the school year, it is recognised the commencement of Certificate examinations will mean that post primary schools will not be open for tuition beyond the Friday preceding the June bank holiday in any year. The expectation is that in order to meet the overall requirement of a minimum of 167 at post primary level or 183 days at primary level the school year will normally commence in the week that 1st September falls.

The arrangements may provide some limited flexibility to schools on certain other days outside of the defined periods. The scheduling of such days must not be used to extend or modify the periods set out above in respect of mid-term and Christmas and Easter breaks save where religious observance requirements of a school under a particular patronage make this necessary.