Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2019
299. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the details regarding the future skills research team that is conducting research into remote working, including details on the person conducting the research; the groups and persons the team has met as part of the research; the submissions they received; the number of staff working on the research; and the publication date for the guidelines. [47593/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, I understand the opportunities presented by the increased adoption of flexible working solutions in the workplace. This is addressed under Pillar 4 of the Government’s Future Jobs Ireland strategy. Pillar 4 is focussed on increasing participation in the labour force as this will lead to a more equitable, balanced and sustainable development of Ireland’s workforce.
Pillar 4 of Future Jobs Ireland outlines a number of key ambitions and deliverables to help to increase participation in the labour force. A number of these ambitions are centred on flexible working solutions which can offer benefits for employers, employees and wider society in general. Flexible working encompasses a wide range of practices including part-time, compressed hours, job sharing, home-working and remote working. Such solutions allow for tangible benefits for employees including improving their work-life balance. It also provides solutions for those who would otherwise take unpaid parental leave but cannot afford to do so.
A deliverable under this Pillar is the completion of research on remote working. My Department is currently leading on this research which focusses on understanding the prevalence and types of remote working arrangements within the Irish workforce and the attitudes towards such arrangements. The research will identify the influencing factors for both employers and employees partaking in remote working. The research will also include an international policy review which will consider related policies abroad in order to understand the impacts of this on remote working.
To assist this work, an Interdepartmental Steering Group has been formed with representatives from my Department, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of An Taoiseach. This Group is providing guidance and feedback to the two staff members of my Department who are leading on this report.
The research will include desk research, an online national employee survey and engagement with key stakeholders, including employer representative bodies and remote working interest groups. As part of the consultation process my Department held a Remote Working Consultation Forum on July 18th of this year. This was attended by Government Departments, State Agencies, enterprises, and the remote working community. The insights arising from this Forum will be included in the final report which will outline the relevant policy implications of remote working for Ireland. The report is expected to be completed in Q4 of this year and published in early 2020.
