Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I welcome the publication of the Bill. It is a throwback to the last financial crisis of 2008-09 which has been with us throughout the past decade. In that time we have gone through the Croke Park, Lansdowne Road and Haddington Road agreements, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act of 2015, the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 and Building Momentum, which was ratified by ICTU in February. I wish to acknowledge the role of Government in all of this.

I have been watching "Reeling in the Years" for the past number of Sundays. The programme is a reminder of the consequences of the financial crisis. Through those crisis years the solidarity of the unions in recognising the benefits of engaging in an agreement with Government has gotten us back on track as a country. Covid-19 has set back but not ended the economic progress of the country. It is worth bearing that in mind. A strong economy due to businesses, workers and Government policy means an increased tax take to reinvest in society and services. Capital projects are particularly important for the ongoing ability to grow and sustain the economy and create jobs.

Covid-19 has changed things of course. Unemployment has, unfortunately, soared. However, thankfully, due to our books being balanced, the waiving of the fiscal rules within the EU because of the crisis and the good name of Ireland on international markets we were able to borrow to provide supports such as the pandemic unemployment payment, the temporary Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme and other supports.

The Building Momentum agreement recognises the need for a prudent approach while also giving more support to those on lowest pay. The agreement is based on a pay pause until October 2021 but allows for increases in 2022. The agreement provides certainty on pay and industrial peace in the coming two years as we rebuild our economy, finances and workforce.

As a member of the Joint Committee on Health I welcome in particular the progress on one of the core objectives of Sláintecare, that is, the removal of private consultant practice from public hospitals, as announced by the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, in December 2019. This will bring us more in line with international best practice. I hope that as part of this move we can roster in or allow 24-7 health services. The use of theatres at weekends will be part of that. I also welcome moves to support recruitment and retention in the Naval Service. This has been commented on a great deal in respect of our ability to keep ships sailing and in respect of the valuable work our naval personnel do in coastal defence and all else that they do.

The issue of remote working is not new but it has certainly grown in stature and importance because of Covid-19. I wish to acknowledge the work of Údarás na Gaeltachta. The Gréasán Digiteach na Gaeltachta or gteic network of digital hubs predated Covid-19. It was rolled out in advance of Covid-19. The work of the Western Development Commission as part of the Atlantic economic corridor has been significant as well.

We have seen an extraordinary focus on remote working because of Covid and as part of the response to Covid. It has worked well across much of the public sector. Is any analysis being done on how well it has worked in improving efficiencies and productivity? Is it the case that the people who are most productive while working in an office are the most productive while working from home? Has that changed? Has there been any analysis of that?

Remote working has an important part to play in our public services in future as well as in improving quality of life by reducing travel time, providing more time with families and more time at home, and ensuring less stress from commuting. Moreover, it is good for the environment by reducing our carbon footprint.

This is changing all the time and there are great benefits for the regions. We all preach about regional balanced development and ensuring that all regions grow, including those in the west and the midlands. This has the potential to encourage redevelopment of some of our more peripheral locations and those that have had low growth rates in recent years.

I welcome the Bill. It is a throwback to the past but something that remains of concern to some of our public servants. I wish the Minister of State well in the deliberations in the House.