Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On a point of reflection, if we told people three years ago that we would be having this conversation now and asked them to hazard a guess as to how far we have come in with remote working, I think they all would have looked on incredulously. I agree with Ms King that one of the few positives of Covid is that it has shone a light on the challenges people face, particularly in rural Ireland, with regard to long commutes and the opportunities available through remote working. In many senses this is a good news story. It is a good opportunity for employees but also for employers. In the main, employers have embraced this positively and have engaged with the process. I ask Ms King to reflect on her private sector committee, which she mentioned briefly already. What are the stumbling blocks and big issues that are being reported back there? Where does she she those stumbling blocks, bearing in mind, as she rightly says, that there has been a partnership approach between the trade union movement and employers. At the end of the day, we want to help get employers there. Where does Ms King see the challenges? What do we need to do to help those employers?