A number of TDs will abandon conventional Leinster House dress codes for a day when they will don flip-flops in order to raise money for a volunteer project in Africa.
"Flip-flop Friday", as it's been dubbed, has been established by the charity Serve, which will send more than 80 young Irish adults to volunteer this summer on community-based projects in Brazil, South Africa, India and Mozambique.
The aim of the event is to get as many people as possible to wear flip-flops "as an expression of solidarity with the world's poorest".
Promoting the event outside the Mansion House in Dublin this afternoon were deputies Cecilia Keaveney (FF), Damien English (FG), Mary Upton (Lab) and Fiona O'Malley (PD). Eamon Ryan of the Green Party, whose deputies in general go tieless in the Dail, also joined the flip-flop-wearing TDs to promote the event.
Flip-flop Friday will take place next week, Friday May 26 thand 300 Serve volunteers will hold street collections and sell fair trade flip-flops on the day. "Flip-flops are the main footwear of those on low incomes," Serve said.