Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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57. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps taken by her Department to support the implementation of the national remote work strategy Making Remote Work; the approximate number or percentage of staff within her Department who have access to cloud services for remote videoconferencing and the capacity to work remotely; her plans to increase this percentage; the framework under which procurement for this is managed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45376/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Government has committed, in the Programme for Government, to mandating public sector employees to move to 20% home and remote working. In line with this commitment, the Government is committed to developing models of flexible working for the Civil Service. In that context, it is proposed that remote working will be facilitated on a blended basis, subject to the suitability of roles to be carried out remotely. A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service will be finalised over the coming months which focuses on the longer-term approach to remote working across the Civil Service.

My Department is currently implementing an Interim Blended Working Policy to facilitate transition arrangements to blended working for employees in the Department. This follows the announcement of public health measures to commence a gradual and staggered return to the office from 20 September, 2021. The Department is committed to implementing a policy of blended working that will ensure continued delivery of quality public services to Government, the public and business.

The number of employees in my Department is currently 364. All employees have been provided with the necessary IT support to enable remote working including access to a cloud based video conferencing system procured via open competition on e-Tenders, the Government's electronic tendering platform.

My Department will continue to provide employees with ongoing up-to-date guidance and supports on blended working arrangements.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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58. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps taken by agencies under the remit of her Department to support the implementation of the national remote work strategy Making Remote Work; the approximate number or percentage of staff within these agencies who have access to cloud services for remote videoconferencing and the capacity to work remotely; if there are plans to increase this percentage; the framework under which procurement for this is managed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45393/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Regarding the State Agencies under the remit of my Department, this is an operational matter for the respective Agencies.

In that context, I have forwarded your question to the relevant State Agencies and have requested they respond directly to you on the matter within 10 working days from the date of this reply. Please contact my private office if you have not received a reply within the ten working days.