Ms Maeve McElwee:

I thank the Senator for the question. It is certainly an issue that is very alive in the minds of employers. It is entirely separate from this legislation but of course we have seen the very challenging impact Covid has had on our city centres and towns over the last two years. However, it has also added some vibrancy into our rural areas and that is to be welcomed. We want to have a strong and attractive economy and be a destination of choice. What lots of people look for when they travel and work abroad or are developing their careers is those high-density cities and towns where there are lots of opportunities and places of work. Having those strong and vibrant cities is very important and having people working on site at least some of the time is an important aspect of that.