Dublin South Central constituents invited to have their say to shape future of remote working in online event

Fine Gael wants to hear the views of people in Dublin South Central on remote working in an online event attended by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Senator Mary Seery Kearney.

Senator Mary Seery Kearney, who represents Dublin South Central, and Minister Donohoe, who represents Dublin Central, are encouraging constituents to register online and take part in a discussion on remote working, which takes place on Wednesday, 21^st April at 8pm.

This is the fifth meeting in a series of online events taking place under the brand “Shape Your Future” which is being organised by Fine Gael.

The party would like to hear the views of members of the public on a range of issues and encourage engagement between them and their local representatives.

Speaking ahead of the event, Minister Donohoe said, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to take part in this event with my colleague, Senator Mary Seery Kearney, to discuss remote working.

“Working from home, or remote working, has been an essential part of our response to the pandemic. The Government has a strategy in place to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits.

“It is so important for us to hear the views of people in all parts of the country so that the Government can work to maximise the benefits of a new way of working and to mitigate any side effects.

“Balanced regional development is an integral part of this change and is a continued priority for Government, as is the creation of new job opportunities for people who want to live in rural Ireland and incentives for businesses located in rural towns and villages to develop and grow.

“I would encourage people to take part in our online discussion to hear their experiences as we forge ahead with plans to create more flexible working arrangements for people,” Minister Donohoe concluded.

Senator Seery Kearney added: “The experience of the pandemic and the necessity of working from home has removed a lot of the obstacles previously preventing consideration of remote working.

“For individuals, remote working presents a lot of opportunities for flexible working arrangements and work life balance considerations. For employers, there is the opportunity to rethink recruitment and to recruit from a wider pool of people.

“There are indeed challenges to overcome and the Remote Working Strategy seeks to meet those challenges.  I am excited for the reimagined work life ahead post pandemic.

“I am really looking forward to exploring both the opportunities and challenges in the course of our discussion and am very grateful to Minister Donohoe for affording us the time to discuss them with him,” Senator Seery Kearney concluded.

People are invited to register to attend the online event at https://www.finegael.ie/shapeyourfuture/dublinsouthcentral/