Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I have two sets of questions. I thank the Minister of State for his statement. Remote working will likely have a significant impact on the future of employment for most Irish businesses. We have an opportunity to encourage people to stay at home while working. This will help us to achieve the 2030 target of a 7% reduction in carbon emissions. The Civil Service and public service have taken leadership in this move and should be commended on doing so. With just civil servants working from home, we can achieve a significant reduction in our carbon emissions. The research by Trinity academic Dr. Brian Caulfield and his colleagues on emissions reductions from remote working shows it would also decrease congestion on our road networks and public transport, which in turn will make public transport more attractive and reliable. However, Fórsa has stated that the Government needs to deliver greater support for those who work from home. Health and safety concerns need to be taken into account in many areas. Will the Minister of State outline what actions local government is undertaking or will undertake to ensure remote working will be an option for as many civil and public servants as possible? Will the Minister of State confirm how the necessary health and safety regulations for their new working environments will be met, especially with regard to work-life balance and mental health?

Since the pandemic began and human activity reduced, wildlife has started to flourish again in many parts of Ireland, yet wildlife still faces plenty of issues. As nesting season started, hedgerows and other sanctuaries have been burning all over the country. While devastating to our struggling wildlife, it leaves us vulnerable to a worse problem. Last year, we saw illegal burning destroy a huge part of Killarney National Park. We lost hundreds of acres of our last remaining native oak forest and thousands of wild animals. Fires like these have devastated areas such as Australia and California. We are not immune to them. We need to ensure that, as our climate changes, we are ready for increased demands on our water supply. Drought hit farms in 2018 and we have had minimal rainfall in the past two months. Ireland was one of the first countries in the world to recognise the climate and biodiversity crisis. However, we need action, not words. We have already started to create local, community-led projects that encourage biodiversity. However, too often, grass and hedgerows are cut short as they start to improve things for our wildlife and pollinators. Will the Minister of State outline what resources are needed by local authorities to ensure the continued destruction of our hedgerows will cease and that our local, community-focused re-wilding efforts will be sufficiently monitored to maintain protected areas? Will the Minister of State outline what measures are being taken to reduce the risk of drought in Ireland and to ensure there are no water shortages for our homes and farms in the coming months?

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