Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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2. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps taken by his Department to support the implementation of the national remote work strategy Making Remote Work; the approximate number or percentage of staff within his Department who have access to cloud services for remote video-conferencing and the capacity to work remotely; his plans to increase this percentage; the framework under which procurement for this is managed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45365/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department and the agencies under its remit are driving the implementation of the National Remote Work Strategy, Making Remote Work, in a way which maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits. Each action in the Strategy has been attributed to lead actors for delivery and each action is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year. Lead actors report progress on the actions to the Interdepartmental Group (IDG) on remote work which is coordinated by my Department. The IDG has so far met three times this year, most recently on September 7th. At these meetings it has been established that good progress is underway in achieving the actions by their deadlines. The IDG will meet again in November to further drive the implementation of the Strategy.

The provision of remote working infrastructure to all parts of the country is an important pillar of the Strategy. My Department is currently developing new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024 in which there will be a focus on promoting remote working opportunities and investing in infrastructures across the nine regions. My Department also recently announced €10 million in funding for a new Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme. This scheme is administered by Enterprise Ireland and includes a €500,000 Feasibility Study to assist enterprise development projects, including the development of remote working and enterprise infrastructure.

On May 31st, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Western Development Commission launched Ireland’s first National Hub Network, ConnectedHubs.ie. This was followed on July 22nd with the announcement of €8.8 million in funding for 117 projects across Ireland as part of the Connected Hubs call. This investment will contribute to the ongoing development of the National Hub Network, which already includes 134 hubs and will grow on a phased basis to over 400 hubs throughout the country. The ConnectedHubs.ie platform is being widely marketed. This investment will bring significant employment opportunities to our regions and rural communities.

Agencies under the auspices of my Department are also playing an active role in implementing the National Remote Work Strategy. In April, the Workplace Relations Commission published the Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect which will help employees to strike a better work-life balance and to switch off from work outside of normal working hours. This reflects the Government’s wider commitment to create more flexible and family-friendly working arrangements which will benefit both employees and employers. The Health and Safety Authority has been providing ongoing guidance to employers and employees to ensure that remote working arrangements are implemented in a safe and sustainable way both during and beyond the pandemic.

IDA Ireland is engaging with its client base to share knowledge on the implementation of remote and hybrid working arrangements. These working models being promoted with international investors as part of IDA Ireland’s balanced regional development agenda. A particular emphasis is being placed on the potential of remote work to attract and retain talent. IDA Ireland supported the ConnectedHubs.ie launch through its communication channels and social media, and the ConnectedHubs map has been incorporated into IDA’s property marketing content. A number of recent regional jobs announcements have referenced roles being open on a remote working basis.

Enterprise Ireland has developed a Future of Work website featuring a range of resources to assist companies in transitioning to the remote, hybrid and flexible working cultures of the post-Covid environment. EI has been promoting this material to its client companies and beyond, and a new employer guide was launched at a webinar on June 22nd which was attended by over 200 people. EI is also supporting The National Association of Community Enterprise Centres to promote greater use of their associate hubs to assist with the training of hub managers and teams. EI is additionally a member of the Grow Remote Advisory Panel and represents the needs of Irish indigenous industry in the move to hybrid ways of working.

On June 28th, my Department launched the ‘Making Remote Work’ campaign across broadcast, print and social media to promote the Guidance for Working Remotely webpage. This webpage acts as a central access point for employers and employees and brings together the existing State guidance, legislation and advice on remote work into one place. The webpage includes an Employer Checklist to provide employers with a quick way to successfully navigate the adoption of remote working arrangements. The ‘Making Remote Work’ campaign is continuing, and the Government is encouraging workers and employers to discuss the kinds of remote working arrangements that may be suitable for their organisations.

As part of creating an environment conducive to remote work, my Department will soon legislate for the right for employees to request remote work. The report of the submissions received during the public consultation on the proposed measure was published on August 20th, and a working group has been established to draft the General Scheme of the Bill which will be presented to Government as soon as possible.

A vital part of ensuring the success of remote working arrangements now and in the future is ensuring that organisations and workers are equipped with the appropriate tools for communication and collaboration. I can confirm that within my Department, 100% core departmental staff have access to remote working and video conferencing tools, which were accessed through existing software licences held by the Department.

Taken together, my Department and its agencies have taken great strides in delivering the National Remote Working Strategy, and all actions remain on track to be delivered before the end of the year.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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3. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps taken by agencies under the remit of his 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 he will make a statement on the matter. [45382/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department and the agencies under its remit are driving the implementation of the National Remote Work Strategy, Making Remote Work, in a way which maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits. Each action in the Strategy has been attributed to lead actors for delivery and each action is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year, with work being coordinated through the Interdepartmental Group (IDG) on remote work. The IDG has so far met three times this year, most recently on September 7th. At these meetings it has been established that good progress is underway in achieving the actions by their deadlines. The IDG will meet again in November to further drive the implementation of the Strategy. Agencies under the remit of my Department playing a leading role In implementing elements of the Strategy and represented on the IDG include the Workplace Relations Commission, the Health and Safety Authority, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

In April, the Workplace Relations Commission published the Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect which will help employees to strike a better work-life balance and to switch off from work outside of normal working hours. This reflects both the Government’s commitment to creating an environment conducive to remote work, as well as to creating more flexible and family-friendly working arrangements which will benefit both employees and employers. The Health and Safety Authority has been providing ongoing guidance to employers and employees to ensure that remote working arrangements are implemented in a safe and sustainable way both during and beyond the pandemic.

Both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland have been active in promoting remote work amongst business, as well as raising awareness of the skills and training interventions which underpin the successful adoption of remote working practices. Both organisations have also been facilitating the provision of remote working infrastructure in all parts of the country.

IDA Ireland is engaging with its client base to share knowledge on the successful implementation of remote working arrangements. These working models are being promoted with international investors as part of IDA Ireland’s balanced regional development agenda. A particular emphasis is being placed on the potential of remote work to attract and retain talent. Through its communication channels and social media, IDA Ireland supported the launch of Ireland’s national hub network, ConnectedHubs.ie, by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Western Development Condition at the end of May. A number of recent regional jobs announcements have referenced roles being open on a remote working basis.

Enterprise Ireland has developed a Future of Work website featuring a range of resources to assist companies in transitioning to the remote, hybrid and flexible working cultures of the post-Covid environment. EI has been promoting this material to its client companies and beyond, and a new employer guide was launched at a webinar on June 22nd which was attended by over 200 people. These resources have also been promoted through my Department’s Guidance for Working Remotely webpage, Employer Checklist and ‘Making Remote Work’ media campaign which is encouraging workers and employers to discuss the kinds of remote working arrangements that may be suitable for their organisations. EI is additionally a member of the Grow Remote Advisory Panel and represents the needs of Irish indigenous industry in the move to hybrid ways of working. EI is also supporting the National Association of Community Enterprise Centres to promote greater use of their associate hubs to assist with the training of hub managers and teams.

My Department also recently announced €10 million in funding for a new Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme which is administered by Enterprise Ireland. The scheme includes a €500,000 Feasibility Study to assist enterprise development projects, including the development of remote working and enterprise infrastructure.

A vital part of ensuring the success of remote working arrangements now and in the future is ensuring that organisations and workers are equipped with the appropriate tools for communication and collaboration. Figures for the numbers of staff access to remote working and video conferencing tools within the agencies under my Department’s remit are however an operational matter for the agencies themselves.

Taken together, agencies under the remit of my Department have taken great strides in delivering the National Remote Working Strategy, and all their actions remain on track to be delivered before the end of the year.