Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. I thank the officials for attending and for their submissions. I have a couple of questions. My first is to Ms McElwee. The IBEC submission refers to potential costs for employers and the grave and serious fear it has this is going to run out of control. I come at this from a different perspective, which I am sure will be no surprise to anyone listening. I raise the potential benefits. There are massive benefits. In addition to the specific benefit to the individual, we might look at the benefits in a climate change context of people commuting less. We know there are huge benefits that extend beyond access to a form of work-life balance, etc. From reading the IBEC submission I would not be convinced Ms McElwee and her colleagues see any benefit at all from it. Does they not see there are also savings for employers in this regard? I can see huge benefits in this and I have spoken to workers. In the ICTU submission, a myth has been busted regarding what employers are actually doing at the moment. My questions are simple. There are saving and benefits for employers and that does not seem to be reflected in the IBEC submission at all.