Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As our country continues to navigate Covid-19, remote working has become more important than ever before.

To date, my Department has had a strong focus on the topic of remote work. Last year as a response to COVID-19, my Department launched a new webpage dedicated to providing guidance for remote working for both employers and employees.

In July 2020, my Department launched a Public Consultation on Remote Work Guidance. We received 522 submissions from employers, employees, representative bodies and special interest groups. The results of the consultation are outlined on my Department’s website.

Based on the insights garnered from the consultation, my Department updated its guidance webpage to include new information. The guidance webpage now includes a checklist for employers considering adopting remote working arrangements in the longer term. The guidance webpage will continue to be updated regularly to act as a live resource for employers and employees.

Building on this work, my Department formed an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) to steer the delivery of a national Remote Work Strategy. This Group included broad representation across government departments and state agencies. The Strategy considers what changes are needed to create an environment that is more conducive to remote work. It is expected that the Strategy will be published very shortly.