I thank all Deputies for bringing forward this Bill and for their contributions. As outlined by the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, the Government opposes the Bill. The position is grounded in balance to support flexibility for workers and competitiveness for business. Remote working is now well-established and is a feature of our modern labour market, improving work-life balance and shaping how we are as a people and live and work. The Government recognises its value and has already put in place one of the earliest legislative frameworks in the EU to support this. Our framework is comprehensive. In addition to the legislative right, employees and employers are supported and encouraged to utilise this right and comply with the legislation through a code of practice on remote working in addition to the code of practice on the right to disconnect. Through the work-life balance Act 2023, every employee in the State has a right to request remote working. No sector or occupation is excluded. Ireland has taken a leading role in establishing a clear and workable procedure governing these requests. There is a day one right to request remote working, which means that a worker can request this right on the very first day of their employment. If approved, the remote working arrangement can commence after the completion of six months continuous service on the part of the employee. This service requirement allows time for the employee and employer to build up an effective working relationship before commencing remote working arrangements. The Bill proposes to delete section 20(2) of the Act, thereby removing any service requirement. Especially in the light of what is effectively the full right to remote work also proposed in the Bill, this risks undermining the trust-based nature of arrangements between workers and employers, which can and are facilitating pragmatic and flexible remote working arrangements that work for both parties. In contrast, the current legislative framework strikes the right balance by ensuring that employees can access meaningful entitlements while employers retain the prerogative necessary to organise their operations effectively to improve productivity, competitiveness and secure operational viability. The Bill seeks to seriously, and in the Government's view, adversely alter this framework by creating an entitlement to remote work, unless deemed not reasonably practical by the Government through legislation or by the WRC adjudication officers who, as appropriate to their role, have little or no detailed knowledge of business operations. Essentially, the Bill would place the ultimate decision-making power in the hands of a third party without direct knowledge of the business's day-to-day requirements. It is a position of the Government that the proposal could have negative impact on employee-employer relations, business viability, competitiveness and productivity, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises which operate on very tight profit margins. It is the objective of the Government to foster a competitive business environment, alongside strong employee protections, to ensure Ireland continues to develop into a great place to work and live. We do not believe this proposal would contribute to that goal. It is also important to emphasise the legislation underpinning remote work has been in operation for less than two years. Despite this short period, remote working has become deeply embedded. CSO data shows that almost 1 million people now work from home at least some of the time, with over half a million people working remotely more than half of the week. These trends demonstrate that remote working is succeeding under the existing framework. I reiterate that the Government is currently finalising a statutory review of the review of the remote working provisions of the work-life balance Act. We must not pre-empt the outcome of the review process. Introducing legislative amendments at this point would be hasty and short-sighted. For these reasons, the Government must oppose the Bill. Our objective remains clear: to support flexible working arrangements that work for employees and employers while safeguarding the operational needs of employers to run competitive, productive and viable businesses. We are continuously working towards the objective through a number of cross-government streams. As mentioned by the Minister of State earlier, the Government continues the national rollout of high-speed fibre broadband to enable remote working across Ireland, as well as the provision of funding for connected hubs and tax relief for remote working expenses. This year, we also expect to receive the findings of NESC's research into the evolution and important impact of remote and hybrid working in Ireland. Along with the working in Ireland survey, this will inform evidence-based policymaking in the area of remote working in the coming years. In addition to remote working, workers can also explore other forms of flexible working, such as part-time working and flexible working arrangements for parents and carers, to improve their work-life balance or to enable them to enter the workforce. A code of practice and access to part-time working was recently approved by the Minister of State and placed on statute. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act also provides the right to request a flexible working to parents and carers. The Minister, Deputy Foley, will undertake a statutory review of the flexible working provisions of this Act later this year. We will continue to support and promote remote working and flexible working right across Government. However, this support and promotion must be measured as well as balanced, taking into the account the needs of both employees and employers to ensure a competitive business environment, alongside strong and forceful protections for all of our employers.

Sentiment score: 0.28