Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too want to commend the Labour Party on bringing forward this motion. I cannot stress enough the importance of remote working to our rural towns and villages. While it is hard to see anything positive in relation to Covid, it has been life-changing for rural Ireland in allowing people to work from home, to reduce commute times and to remain in their communities, which is of huge benefit to the local economy and also to their work-life balance.

Of course there have been challenges, particularly in relation to broadband. The initial target last year was that 115,000 homes were to be connected. However, that target was reduced to 60,000. As of the end of January this year, only 37,000 premises were passed. That is of concern to those of us in homes and business in rural areas that do not have broadband access in this day and age. Given that targets are being missed, it is concerning in regard to how long the roll-out will now take.

That brings me to the importance of remote working hubs, in which the Government has invested significantly. They are very important to rural communities, especially in areas where people do not have broadband at home. They have worked out very well. In areas of my constituency where we have not seen job creation, such as Ballinlough, Tulsk and Ballinasloe, the option to go to a remote working hub to work remotely has been of huge benefit, particularly for those of us living in rural areas. It has, as I said, been life-changing. For the first time in my lifetime, we have seen people choosing to move into rural areas. That is something we must protect, sustain, develop and grow. We will not do that with the proposed legislation that the Tánaiste is bringing forward. The legislation is very concerning, especially for those who have actually picked up and moved their lives into rural areas and those who want to work remotely, be it in local remote working hubs or from home. The Government needs to look at this legislation through a rural lens, in particular. I have asked the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to engage with the Tánaiste and I know she will do so. It is very important that we get this legislation right and it is very important that we look at it through a rural lens as well.

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