Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
397. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline the research undertaken by, or commissioned by, his Department on the four day week; to summarise the findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16967/26]
View answerThe Work Life Balance Act 2023 and initiatives such as the National Remote Work Strategy reflect the Government’s commitment to enable increased flexible working options to promote better work-life balance, higher female labour market participation and a more inclusive labour market, fewer emissions from commuting and achieving Ireland’s ambitious climate action goals. Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, re-affirms this commitment to promoting flexible working arrangements that benefit both workers and employers.
Most recently the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has commenced a statutory review of the remote working provisions of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. The 2023 Act provides all workers with the right to request a remote working arrangement, and this right has been in effect since March 2024. The purpose of this review is to assess the effectiveness of the legislation in providing the entitlements, to evaluate the clarity of the legislation and to identify any unintended consequences of the legislation.
As part of this review, my Department held public consultation which closed on 9 December 2025 and a nationally representative survey of employees and employers. The final report of this review will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 also provides parents and carers with the right to request flexible working arrangements such as adjusted working patterns and reduced hours. These provisions are under the remit of the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality and are being reviewed by that Department. I understand that this review will also include further research on what additional flexibilities could be introduced for parents and carers.
The above illustrate the importance of monitoring and evaluating the impacts of new ways of working- including the legislation underpinning them- to ensure that their benefits are fully realised.
In this context, I note the growing interest in the potential impacts of reduced working time, including the concept of a four-day working week. This discussion was impacted by work in Ireland on a four-day workweek research project and pilot undertaken by Four-Day Week Ireland, UCD and Boston College in November 2022.
The Irish pilot saw a four-day working week being piloted in 12 businesses in Ireland, for a period of 6 months during 2022, with most participating firms opting for a model based on employees working four days while continuing to receive 100% of full time pay for 100% productivity. I note the reported benefits of the four-day workweek as recorded during this trial, such as improved productivity, revenue and staff retention for some participating businesses, alongside improved work-life balance and reduced stress for employees. I note that reported benefits were particularly marked for female employees.
While these pilots have been limited to a relatively small number of companies over a relatively short period of time, this research makes a significant contribution to an important debate and growing evidence base around reduced working time initiative.
The deputy refers to research carried out by the Government on this topic. With support from my Department, a research project was to be initiated in 2023 in collaboration with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. Unfortunately, this project did not go ahead at the time, due to resource constraints.
However, I welcome any future research into the potential costs and benefits of reduced working time in Ireland and internationally which could deepen our understanding of this topic.
I would also like to highlight two further significant pieces of research into new ways working being undertaken with Government support.
Firstly, my Department is co-funding to the Working in Ireland Survey which is being undertaken by University College Dublin. The survey aims to interview several thousand persons across Ireland about their experiences of working life. The survey investigates a variety of employment quality factors across the entire island of Ireland, including work-life balance. I understand that the fieldwork has been completed and that we can expect research output in the coming months.
In addition, the Department of Taoiseach has requested that the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) undertake research into the evolution and impact of remote and hybrid working in Ireland. A working group has been established to oversee the research, which is expected be completed by mid-2026.
I think these pieces of research will be a useful input into ongoing debates which will help inform the direction of policy over the next few years.
