Sinn Féin has said it will create a national holiday to commemorate the Easter Rising if the party is elected into government.

Party leader Gerry Adams launched Sinn Fein’s political manifesto last week ahead of the election on February 26. The party has pledged to add a 10th bank holiday into the Irish working calendar in memory of the Rising, the Irish Post reports.

In October, the Irish government rejected a proposal from Sinn Fein calling for an annual holiday marking the 1916 Rising that would have started on April 24 this year.

*Read more stories on the 1916 Rising here *

The proposed Lá na Poblachta, or national independence day, was turned down by Equality Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who said the Coalition would not back the plan as “there was no demand” during previous 1916 Rising commemoration research. He said it would “seriously dilute” existing Rising celebrations and that the plan had not been properly costed, the Irish Examiner reports.

Sinn Fein pledged to renew their efforts if elected into power. The party is also promising to create 250,00 new jobs and to scrap the taxes on water and property.

“2016 is a time to deliver on the promise of the 1916 Proclamation. Ireland is a small country – all 32 counties,” Mr Adams said.

“For the first time since the foundation of this state, there is an opportunity to elect a progressive, Sinn Féin-led Government which place the rights of citizens at the center of Government decision-making.