We need to see remote work become a right and not just a perk as it is now. It should be an entitlement for workers for whom it is available and not a norm when it makes sense for all the reasons that have been outlined. It is clear to us that remote working has clear family benefits, social benefits and environmental benefits as well as those benefits to the community that are often unseen and unremarked upon in this debate because, simply put, people have more time. This is about workers' rights. There are health benefits and environmental benefits. It supports economic growth and rural diversification. It keeps our rural communities alive when this is the norm. Remote and hybrid working reduces commuting time and increases personal autonomy which is strongly associated with higher life satisfaction, better mental health and improved work-life balance for workers. For every 1,000 remote jobs, over 220,000 hours are saved in commutes every year. That time goes back into people's families and local communities. There has been a lot of research by the Western Development Commission on this, along with the University of Galway and others. Those statistics show that almost 25% of people who work from home for some part of the week volunteer their time in the community. Organisations that benefit include the GAA, other sporting organisations, Tidy Towns, the RNLI, and any number of rural and community voluntary groups. Remote workers spend more of their income locally during the working week when they can work at home, supporting local businesses and keeping them going, sustaining additional local jobs through secondary economic effects. Every 1,000 remote jobs brings €13 million into their local economies every year. This is a no-brainer. Promoting remote work is the way to go. The Minister of State's negativity in response to this Bill is unwarranted and unhelpful and it underlines an attitude from Government that views rural areas as secondary. We need to see remote work become the norm and we need to see Government legislate or support this legislation. It is one or the other.

Sentiment score: 0.25