Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I genuinely hope all is going well for the Minister on a personal level. I want to speak to him about an opportunity that now clearly presents itself in constituencies such as mine of Longford and Westmeath. It is an opportunity that businesses and workers were hesitant to explore for a long time because of fear of the unknown but had foisted on them because of Covid-19. I am speaking about remote working, the positive impact it can have on our environment and its role in the fight against climate change.

The benefits of remote working are numerous and, in many cases, extremely obvious, particularly, in constituencies like mine where public transport can be sparse, non-existent or fragmented. We need to reduce our emissions from vehicles and reduce our fuel usage. In April this year, we reduced our auto fuel usage by more than 55% compared to the same period in 2019 and because remote working involves significantly higher use of digital resources and tools, it generates a lot less waste. Not only has remote working benefitted the environment and resulted in lower utility costs for businesses, employers I have spoken to tell me they have seen a measurable increase in productivity, decreased sick leave days and an increase in their reputation among their customers. Covid-19 may have forced the hand to instigate remote working but in the vast majority of cases, it has delivered and can continue to deliver.

Covid-19 has brought, and continues to bring, untold heartbreak and hardship to many people. It has, however, also brought us, as a society, to the edge of opportunity to do things differently for the benefit of our environment and our communities, particularly rural communities. However, action is needed before that opportunity passes us by. We all know we must make changes and we are doing so for the protection and benefit of the environment and to help halt the devastating consequences of climate change. Here is a real chance to support that change while having a positive impact on improving physical and mental health and well-being with a work-life balance while at the same time positively contributing to the economic regeneration of our rural areas.

Covid-19 has taught us we must rethink how we work and interact with each other as well as the space around us. It has opened up the possibility of remote working to a much wider cohort and made us all see the multiple benefits of removing long daily commutes from our lives. During the most severe restrictions, people discovered areas of their own communities they never knew existed because they were so time-poor. If people in my constituency were not travelling up to two and a half hours each way daily to work, it would increase the amount of time they have to spend in their homes and communities. These are homes for which they are paying large mortgages but do not have the time or energy to fully enjoy and which are in communities from which they are virtually absent for most of the week. They would have time to be physically involved in their local clubs and organisations. They could enjoy their libraries, parks and their children's extracurricular activities, all while contributing to rural and regional regeneration and reducing their carbon footprints.

However, none of this will be possible as long as the communications status quocontinues. A young constituent of mine had to go two miles and then literally climb a hill before she could garner enough coverage to submit her schoolwork. In 2013, we all lauded Commander Hadfield as he tweeted from the international space station. It is a feat I am glad he was not trying to do in areas of my constituency because he simply would not have been able to. We have passed into shameful territory in this regard. High-speed broadband has become a vague promise and has taken on almost mythical properties. Phone coverage may be classed as "fair" in many areas of my constituency but I think we can all agree it is certainly not fair that in 2020 dependable phone coverage and quality Internet is not available outside of larger rural areas.

Let us not entirely lose sight of the "just" in just transition. The Minister's programme for Government talks of assisting rural economies, digital strategies and developing a strategy for remote working through the rapid roll-out of a national broadband plan. Where are these plans at and when will they become a reality?

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