Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
142. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he plans to expand training and consultancy supports to organisations wishing to embrace remote first operating models; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30426/26]
View answerRemote working represents a significant opportunity for creating a more inclusive labour market, enabling enhanced access to high-quality employment opportunities for workers in their home communities.
This in turn provides employers with access to a larger talent pool, with remote and flexible working options representing powerful tools for staff recruitment and retention, improving labour market performance and regional economic balance overall.
As the Deputy is aware, the Government is committed to facilitating remote working in a way which maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits, and my Department worked with colleagues across Government to develop and oversee the successful delivery of all 15 actions outlined in the 2021 National Remote Work Strategy.
These actions include legislating for the right of all workers to request a remote working arrangement through the Work Life Balance Act 2023, the introduction of an enhanced income tax deduction for people working from home and significant investment in Ireland’s national network of remote working hubs and broadband infrastructure.
Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, re-affirms this commitment to promoting flexible working arrangements that benefit both workers and employers.
An important dimension of the Strategy has been the promotion of remote work amongst businesses, including raising awareness of remote work training opportunities and advising on the skills interventions and best practices required for the successful adoption of remote work by businesses.
To help achieve this, my Department led on the development of the Guidance for Working Remotely webpage which provides a wide range of information and resources to support employers in developing remote working policies.
Agencies under the aegis of my Department are also playing their part in facilitating the uptake of remote working arrangements by their client companies.
For example, Enterprise Ireland acknowledges the growing importance of flexible and hybrid work arrangements in enhancing business competitiveness, attracting talent, and supporting sustainable growth.
Enterprise Ireland is actively assisting its private sector clients in adopting hybrid work models through strategic initiatives and funding programmes which support the digital transformation and leadership talent development within enterprise which underpin successful remote, hybrid and flexible working.
The Government also co-funds remote work skills training programmes, such as Leading and Hybrid Remote Teams provided by Laois Offaly ETB and Grow Remote, and The FORWARD Programme- also provided by Grow Remote- which provides SMEs personalised support to design, implement, and sustain effective remote work practices.
Indeed, it is important to acknowledge the role of organisations such as Grow Remote in complimenting the work of Government Departments and Agencies in creating such a supportive remote work ecosystem in Ireland.
It is in this context that I welcome Grow Remote’s ideas in relation to attracting a proportion of the significant number of remote and locationless jobs advertised internationally each month to Ireland, as well as Grow Remote’s broader proposals to support companies based in Ireland to transition to remote first-operating models, to enhance the availability of the skills needed across the workforce to facilitate this and to make Ireland leader in remote-first hiring.
Indeed, as the Deputy will recall, I met with representatives of Grow Remote last October for a productive meeting during which these possibilities were discussed.
I understand that Grow Remote committed to develop a detailed policy proposal to inform further consideration of these ideas within my Department and its agencies, and I welcome the ongoing collaboration between Grow Remote and officials in my Department to develop this proposal.
I look forward to discussing these matters further once this proposal has been finalised.
