Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government committed to fast-tracking the national broadband plan because, thanks to Covid, there was a realisation at long last that delivering broadband to every home in Ireland has the potential to transform our economy, and nowhere more so than in rural Ireland. We witnessed a spike in local house prices as high-tech jobs relocated from the Dublin docks to rural townlands, with the knock-on potential to reduce the climate impact of transport in rural areas by reducing the need to commute long distances. Despite this, the Climate Change Advisory Council report from the OECD on reducing Ireland's transport emissions makes no reference to broadband or remote working. This is despite the OECD saying there was an opportunity for policymakers to design and implement meaningful and integrated policy packages that prioritise transformative actions and deliver the emissions reductions required.

As a former climate Minister, I am all too aware of the bizarre system whereby official Ireland has dismissed the transformative impact of the roll-out of broadband infrastructure on carbon emissions, despite the fact that 37% of our population live in rural areas. Not only has the Government made no attempt to deliver on its programme for Government commitment on broadband, but it has also failed to meet its most recent target of having 20% of the public service working remotely by the end of 2021.

One way to achieve remote working targets is to establish public service remote working hubs in every decentralised public building across the country. We have hundreds of available spaces with all the services, including secure networks, and the added bonus of ensuring staff could work in clusters, which would break down the silo mentality we have in our public service.

We also need to use the digital hubs located across the country as a stimulus to support private sector employers rolling out hybrid working to their employees. This overcomes the health and safety and HR challenges of home working while providing employees with the opportunity to work in a communal environment with the necessary infrastructure but without the need to commute long distances. It also provides a unique opportunity for innovation that could lead to significant employment creation through spin-off companies. To achieve the proper utilisation of both public and private sector employment hubs requires a government that recognises the climate and well-being potential of such hubs and requires engagement with employers and employees with a can-do approach. Sadly, there is no indication that the Government is coming to that realisation yet.

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