I thank the Deputy for her question. There has been a significant and lasting shift in attitudes towards remote working in recent years. Central Statistics Office data show that nearly 1 million people were working from home, either usually or sometimes, in the fourth quarter of 2025 and that figure has remained broadly stable since the pandemic. The national remote work strategy and Our Rural Future highlight the role remote working can play in expanding employment opportunities outside Ireland’s largest urban centres. The 2025 programme for Government reaffirms our commitment to this and recognises that flexible working arrangements can deliver economic, social and environmental benefits for workers and employers. Ireland was among the first in the EU to introduce a right to request remote working and this was commenced for all workers through the Work Life Balance Act 2024. The legislation is accompanied by a code of practice that provides guidance for employers and employees on how to comply with the legislation. My Department recently concluded a statutory review of the operation of the right to request remote working legislation and a report of the review was laid before the Houses in early March. The findings of the review were informed by a nationally representative survey, a public consultation that received more than 8,000 responses and engagement with the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. The review found that, when used, the legislation works effectively and that the majority of requests are approved either fully or partially, demonstrating that the legislation can facilitate compromise. The reported level of administrative burden is also low. However, the key findings also looked at the challenges around awareness, with fewer than half of employees being aware of their right to request remote working. As with Ireland’s broader suite of employment legislation, the legislation will be kept under ongoing review. However, providing a right to request strikes the right balance between flexibility and the need for businesses to remain competitive, profitable and viable.
Sentiment score: 0.25
The fuel crisis is exactly why flexibility matters. It is exactly why we introduced this legislation and, where remote or blended working is feasible, it can immediately reduce the cost of commuting and mean lower household expenses. It can also ease pressure on workers. We have put the legislative framework in place. It is already in use. It has been very beneficial to those who use it. At the same time, we have also introduced packages to support workers with energy costs. Remote working is part of the solution but it is not the only solution the Government has introduced to deal with the cost-of-energy crisis. Our approach is focused on the fact there are different realities in different workplaces. Not all jobs can be done remotely. While we are supporting workers, we are also ensuring business needs are met through challenging periods. That is really our focus as regards the right to request remote working.
Sentiment score: 0.09
The numbers speak for themselves. Close to 1 million people work remotely in either blended or hybrid models. That is the reality. The shift since the Covid-19 pandemic has been enormous. It has been supported by the Government through the national remote working strategy. We have continued to roll out the national broadband plan, which will reach more than 1.1 million people in the most rural areas. That allows them to bridge the gap between jobs for which they might have to relocate to cities and jobs they can do at home. The Government has gone even further. We have legislated for the right to disconnect. The national hubs network has more than 400 remote working hubs nationwide and more than €3 billion has been invested in high-speed broadband. That very much re-emphasises the Government's priority, which is to make sure remote working works for everyone and that those who want to work remotely have the legislative framework and code of practice under the WRC.
Sentiment score: 0.07
I thank the Deputy for her question. The Government understands the pressures that rising fuel and energy costs are placing on small and medium enterprises, SMEs. These are not abstract figures. These are family businesses, local employers and community anchors in every town and village across our country. That is why the Government has acted quickly, decisively and in a targeted way. In March and April, we introduced a substantial package of fuel supports to the tune of €750 million to cushion businesses against the current fuel shocks. These include VAT inclusive reductions of up to 32 cent on diesel, 27 cent on petrol and 7.4 cent on green diesel, alongside a reduction in the NORA levy and the deferral of planned carbon tax increases until budget time. This is immediate, real relief at the pumps for businesses that cannot pass these costs on. However, we did not stop there. We also strengthened sector-specific supports where fuel is a non-negotiable input. These include an increase in the diesel rebate scheme, rising to 12 cent per litre; a new road transporter's support scheme for haulage and coach operators; and €100 million for a fuel subsidy support scheme for our farmers, contractors and fishers during peak fuel use months. These are targeted interventions. At the same time, we are backing SMEs to reduce their dependency on volatile fuel markets through SEAI grants, energy audits, business energy upgrades and supports for microgeneration. Firms are being helped to permanently reduce their operating costs. We are also ensuring access to finance through the growth and sustainability loan scheme, offering long-term, low-cost loans of up to €3 million. Finally, we are also tackling cost pressures structurally through the action plan on competitiveness and productivity and the cost of doing business advisory forum.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I thank the Deputy. I respect the concerns that she has raised, but do not accept the suggestion that we are leaving SMEs behind. Sinn Féin's talk around spending vast and wide in regard to budget surpluses is irresponsible. We have surpluses on the back of prudent and careful management of our economy. SMEs have been the beneficiaries in regard to the resources that we have at our disposal in recent weeks. These are designed precisely at a moment when our SMEs are exposed to fuel shocks at this magnitude. That is why we have ensured that we have seen reductions immediately at the pumps. We also have targeted schemes for transport operators, for agriculture, fisheries and contractors and SMEs dotted across our rural communities and across the country who need targeted supports at the most critical time of the season when they are very busy and have huge fuel consumption. We have put a real package of substance together to deal with the immediacy and the urgency in the here and now.
Sentiment score: 0.02
I reassure all our transport operators that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, along with the Government, have introduced a substantial package of over €40 million a month to support our transport services, coach operators and haulage contractors. As someone who knows the importance of tourism in County Mayo, I look forward to Friday's launch of the Wild Mayo tourism strategy, which has a firm focus in regard to north Mayo and Achill Island. These are gems on the Wild Atlantic Way that we need to continue to promote and invest in. The Minister, Deputy Burke, has been working actively with Fáilte Ireland to drive our tourism programme to increase our visitor numbers because we know how vital it is to support more than 5,500 jobs locally. It also benefits the local economy to the tune of over €250 million. That is why we have introduced A New Era for Irish Tourism, which is a five-year strategy that is backed with real money through a capital programme.
Sentiment score: 0.45
As Deputy Keogh said, family-run and seasonal businesses are the backbone of rural economies like ours in County Mayo. They sustain employment, support tourism and hold communities together while often operating on tight margins and facing unique challenges linked to seasonality, distance and volatility. The Government fully recognises this reality. Rather than narrow, sector-specific schemes, our approach is to ensure that enterprise supports are flexible, accessible and responsive to businesses with different operating models, including those that are seasonal or family owned. My Department works closely with Fáilte Ireland, the local enterprise offices and Enterprise Ireland to help rural businesses extend trading seasons, manage costs, upskill staff and adapt to changing economic conditions. In tourism and hospitality, which are critically important right across the country, Fáilte Ireland provides practical, cost-management supports including free food and beverage and energy costs toolkits and confidential one-to-one clinics. These supports are designed specifically to help small, seasonal operators protect margins, reduce waste and improve resilience. At a local level, the local enterprise office in Mayo plays a central role, and in 2025 alone it supported 200 client businesses and over 1,380 jobs, with a strong focus on competitiveness, digitalisation and energy efficiency. Mayo businesses have also seen a strong uptake in grants such as the energy efficiency grant, green for business, grow digital and LEAN for business. Access to these supports have also been simplified to the national enterprise hub that supports over 250 Government supports. Enterprise Ireland also continues to support job creation and indigenous enterprise growth right across Mayo, with over 6,500 people employed in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies.
Sentiment score: 0.64
We do all meet those types of business owners. However, the Government has looked at how we can respond and how we can support many businesses that are feeling the impact of rising costs. Through the cost of business advisory forum we have had SME representatives very much at the heart of reviewing the structural costs within their businesses and, indeed, we will be shaping the next phase of measures once that report comes before the Government. How we respond will be crucially important in terms of the practical measures and the evidence-based decisions. We are also undertaking a review in regard to the grants that are being administered through the local enterprise offices. We will have more details in the coming weeks on whether the grants are doing what they should be doing. Notwithstanding that there has been a good uptake in grants in Mayo, are they being measured through an additional employee or are they building resilience into the businesses that are currently operating? That is really what we want to hear for businesses.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I thank the Deputy again for her question and response. The Minister and I chair the retail forum and the enterprise forum. We also co-chair the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, dealing with employers and employees. We try to gauge the feedback regarding where supports are required and how we can actually look at this, not just in the short term but also the long term, and the structural needs of many businesses. That is why, as I said earlier, the local enterprise office is the first port of call for somebody starting a new business but we do also identify there are many businesses that fall through the cracks and who are not being supported by the local enterprise office. We need to bring them in. That is why Enterprise Ireland is looking at its own structures and trying to create a centre of excellence that will have more broad outreach to those businesses because they are Irish businesses creating vital employment in our local areas. Indeed, they may not want grants available through the local enterprise offices but it is a case of how we can support them in different ways, such as through mentoring and expert advice. Can they become the next company that has export potential? It is about building that leadership capability within those companies as well.
Sentiment score: 0.19