Multinationals, chain-stores and 24-hour supermarkets are setting a new always-open trend in Irish workplaces, according to Jeananne Craig

The lazy days of summer are no more, according to Irish industry experts.

School is out, the Dáil is off and the Dart is closed at times, but for most organisations in Ireland it's business as usual this August.

In the last century, many manufacturing businesses and small firms locked up for a fortnight's break in July or August. Hundreds of farmers flocked to Lisdoonvarna and Bundoran after the harvest, and Belfast workers travelled to the countryside to avoid the marching season.

Today, however, with high consumer demand and a 365-day economy emerging, fewer Irish businesses are able to vacate their premises en masse for a summer break.

July saw the annual "builders' holiday", where construction workers traditionally down tools and take a break for the second half of the month. According to Denis Farrell of the Building and Allied Trades' Union, this custom has lessened in recent years.

Mr Farrell said Dublin construction sites did not have "the usual shutdown feel" this summer. Irish building firms are under more pressure to deliver prompt results because of increased demand and fines for late projects, he explained.

Mr Farrell welcomed flexible holidays, but warned: "It's enshrined in workers' heads that this is holiday time. The danger with flexibility is that holidays lose their sense of entitlement."

He also expressed particular concern about the higher number of foreign nationals he saw working during the builders' holiday, and the potential for their exploitation.

For manufacturing firms, summer shutdowns provide the opportunity to stock-take, perform maintenance work and overhaul machinery.

A complete halt to production can also prove more efficient than trying to arrange cover at irregular intervals.

This year's summer stoppage in Kent Stainless, Co Wexford, is drawing to an end. Around 90 per cent of the company's steel products are distributed among the construction industry.

One member of the remaining skeleton staff said "it works well for us because it's the builders' holiday so they won't need supplies" but even so, "the phones have been constantly going".

Kent Stainless is now in a minority. Total closures are not feasible for the increasing number of firms with hi-tech machinery and continuous manufacturing processes.

A representative for Cork Chamber of Commerce said that few businesses in the region closed completely in July or August.

"The profile of industry has changed in Cork. If multinational competitors are staying open, you have to be realistic," she said.

Similarly, Maeve Joyce of Galway's Chamber of Commerce said that "the make-up of the city is different now", and because chain-stores did not close, family retailers had no option but to remain open.

Ms Joyce added that with the advent of 24-hour supermarkets and shopping on a Sunday, people's leisure time had changed and they "expect convenience now".

A traditional summer break backfired two years ago for Galway County Council. During the Galway Races, the council office's opening hours are restricted so employees can attend the event.

The Ombudsman's Report for 2004 stated that in July 2003, one man missed the deadline to object to a planning application because the offices were closed when he arrived.

As a result, Galway County Council paid him €200 as a goodwill gesture and while opening hours were restricted during this year's races, submissions placed in the County Hall post box were deemed to have been received on that day.

Dáil Éireann and the Seanad began their recess on July 21st. This break will continue until September 28th, but an Oireachtas spokesperson stressed that committee and constituency work continues, with August being the only month in which no parliamentary work takes place.

Jan O'Sullivan, Labour TD for Limerick East, has expressed concern at the length of the Dáil and Seanad breaks. She said that during the summer months the Government is not held to account. "It's better for democracy if the opposition has a chance to raise issues."

As Labour's education spokeswoman, Ms O'Sullivan said that school holidays, particularly at second level, were too long. She argued that by extending the year, a wider range of topics could be covered.

Currently, the private sector appears to be leading the way in adapting to modern society's demands. Ms O'Sullivan believes that the Government and educational institutions need to follow suit with shorter holidays.

"Everybody needs a break, but possibly some breaks are too long," she said.