Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As we know, work practices are changing. Therefore, we need to develop a framework that will incorporate and respond to the demands of modern working and for flexible work arrangements. The social and economic benefits for both employers and workers are wide-ranging. According to the most recent census, there was a 14% increase in the number of people whose primary workplace was their home. The Minister does not need me to tell her the advantages of this for workers. They will spend less time commuting into cities and sitting in traffic and it may reduce bills, including childcare bills, while rents may be reduced, etc. I am interested in seeing the completion of the research the Minister's Department is carrying out. I say this on the basis that our European counterparts are decades ahead of us, particularly when the majority of jobs are city-focused and city-centred and we are talking about climate change, the environment, travel, infrastructure and the lack thereof.

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