Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

100. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the recent engagement her Department has had with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment regarding remote working to support rural workers and communities, in view of the recent passing of legislation that will provide the legal right to request remote working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19349/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On the 9th of November 2022, the Government agreed to rescind the original Right to Request Remote Working Bill and integrate the right to request remote work into the Work Life Balance Bill, which was led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY).

On the 29th March 2023, the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 successfully completed its passage through the Dáil and was enacted on the 4th of April 2023. The right to request remote working will be available to all employees under the Act.

This important legislation is one of a number of steps taken by this Government to support and empower remote workers.

Remote workers support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable rural communities. Accordingly, under Our Rural Future, my Department has invested in co-working hubs across the country and is leading the development of the National Hub Network and its online platform connectedhubs.ie.

The National Hub Network interdepartmental group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established in 2020 and arose from intensive engagement between my department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the subject of remote working at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Made up of a number of government departments and public bodies, this group is focussed on ensuring the critical infrastructure needed to support remote workers, professional and accessible distributed work places, are available across the country.

On foot of that group’s co-operation, a nationwide network of 315 hubs is now established, with at least 400 expected by 2025. In addition, officials at my department and at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are currently leading on the development of a National Hub Strategy that will examine the potential of Ireland’s hubs to do more to support enterprise, employment and community activities.

I and my colleagues in Government remain committed to ensuring that remote working will continue to deliver real benefits for people all across the country, as envisaged in Our Rural Future.