Remote working: A 'game changer' for rural Ireland

Shot of an unrecognizable young woman working on her laptop at home

A "game changer" for rural communities was how remote working was described in the Dail by Cabinet Minister Heather Humphreys.

More than 750,000 workers, almost a third of the entire workforce, are now working remotely, she declared during a debate on the Government’s rural policy.

Between 3,000 and 4,000 premises are being connected every month to high-speed national broadband, she said.

The Rural and Community Development Minister said it is a monumental project akin to rural electrification and every bit as important.

A key commitment in the Government’s policy is the development of a network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.

The Minister said this means people's sons and daughters can have good careers while also living in their local community.

They can build a house there, start a family, spend money in the local shop, send their children to the local primary school and play for the local GAA club.

She said the scheme offering grants of between €50,000 and €70,000 to those refurbishing vacant and derelict properties is a "fantastic success".

Accepting there are planning and other challenges, she said nobody wants to see a return to the bad old days of ribbon development or houses being built on flood plains.

However, there had to be a balance. Planning regulations need to support people to build on their own land.

“We have a golden, once-in-a-generation opportunity now to support the return of young people to our rural parishes. Government policy must support this, not get in the way of it,” she said.

Noting that more people are living and working in rural Ireland than ever before, she said there has never been more investment in the communities than under this Government.

Minister of State Martin Heydon said the agri-food sector, which has 164,000 jobs and generates billons of euros, is playing an important role in the economic life of rural communities.

Donncadh O Laoghaire (SF) said the opening statement by Minister Humphreys reminded him of the former Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who once told the British people they never had it so good.

“Good work is going on in rural Ireland, but there are profound challenges,” he said, claiming some of the biggest of these relate to public services.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the Government's policy looks good on paper, but in some cases, those success stories are divorced from reality. Communities have to fight and fundraise for basic services.