Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy says, he has raised this with me on a number of occasions in the Dáil. At this point, it is not something that I anticipate will require revision to our Estimates at all. What the Department did across last year was to undertake a survey regarding what will be the home needs that we will have as we move to a more hybrid form of working. In terms of what the balance will be between working from the office and working from home, it will probably take a little time for that to settle and become clearer in the Department of Finance. Following the change in the public health guidance, a lot of officials have been coming back into the Department in recent days who have not been in the building for quite a while. During the pandemic, quite a number of officials were working in the office in the Department more than the norm because of how much work we had to do with our economic supports, some of which required more regular meetings than perhaps were involved in other Departments. It will be a few months before those who are working for the Department become clear themselves on what is the balance between home and the office. This work will be under way between the public service unions and the Government centrally to provide guidance. The Department will be consistent with that.