Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

May I mention the "D" word, namely, decentralisation? It has been out of favour. Previously, decentralisation involved moving whole sections of Departments, but my idea involves a different type of decentralisation. Working from home is fine for many people, but people need socialisation at work. It is also important for the workplace. Instead of bringing people back to their parent Departments, could there be Civil Service offices, perhaps in premises currently held, where people from different Departments could work and be overseen by a principal officer? People all over the country could work remotely near where they wanted to live. Has there been any discussion on this suggestion, including with the OPW on utilising underutilised properties in the new regime? The post-Covid world will not be the same as the pre-Covid world.

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