Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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49. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to incentivise behaviour that supports Covid-19 national public health priorities, in particular remote working; and when the strategy for remote working to facilitate employees in working from home or from co-working spaces in rural areas will be published to support the retention of skilled young persons in rural communities. [15690/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In the wake of COVID19, our country is approaching a new normal. In this new normal remote work will be more important than ever. If implemented correctly, remote work can stimulate regional growth, support the transition to a greener economy, reduce business costs and improve employees’ work-life balance.

For this to be possible, the necessary supports must be in place for business and employees to reap benefits. This is reflected in research undertaken by my department on Remote Work in Ireland in December 2019. This report outlined the prevalence and types of remote working in Ireland. It also identified the influencing factors for both employers and employees.

Last week my Department launched a public consultation on remote working guidance. This consultation will help us to understand what remote working issues are most pressing for employers and employees. The submissions that we receive will allow us to identify areas where further guidance can be provided. I encourage all interested parties to take part in this consultation, the full details of which can be found on my department’s website.

The results of the consultation will be used to further refine the current remote working guidance. The insights arising from the consultation will also help to shape future policy decisions on remote working strategy. The last date for submissions for the consultation is August 7^th2020. It is expected that the remote working guidance will be completed by the end of this year.