Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 6 February 2019
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development
Smart Community Initiative: Discussion
Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source
If Ms Keogh does not mind, I shall answer a few questions.
Deputy Ó Cuív mentioned IDA Ireland. The issue has moved way beyond what he talked about in that the foreign direct companies are telling IDA Ireland that they want to see where people can work remotely. We are moving away from having 500 or 1,000 jobs in a big building. We are back to where the FDIs are asking whether we have the facilities for people to work in their own areas, like we have done in Tubbercurry. FDIs are asking whether people can work remotely from Tubbercurry or other towns. Working remotely is what it is all about. IDA Ireland does not need a remit because the demand for remote working is coming from foreign direct companies. We must provide the facilities so that remote working can be achieved, and that is the way it is working. There is no point in us telling IDA Ireland what it should do. Rather, we have to facilitate the FDIs.
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