Flexible Work and Commuter Delays: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-21
============================================================

Robert O'Donoghue (LAB), Dublin Fingal West

This motion comes at a critical time for workers in my constituency of Dublin Fingal West where transport pressures are at breaking point. My office receives emails on a daily basis from constituents who simply cannot get to work on time because buses and trains at peak hours are completely full. Workers are being left behind at stops through no fault of their own. I want to share the stories of some of my constituents who have contacted me directly recently. One told me: "Again the impact of not getting onto this bus has caused huge impact on my employer, my personal life and me financially." Another wrote how over the past few years the service has got busier and busier to the point where there was standing room only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from their stop, which is one of the first stops. Another highlighted the stark contrast with Christmas week when:
... the buses were obviously very quiet and I got into the city in less than 30 minutes (to Westland Row Station). It shows how close Balrothery really is to the city and with proper infrastructure what could be possible.
These are not isolated complaints. These are just workers trying to get to their place of employment. Before they even begin their working day, the stress has already started.
Since 2020, we had a growth in flexible working opportunities that reshaped Ireland’s employment opportunities. It has had a really positive effect, especially for women. Remote and hybrid work options have driven female workforce participation to record levels, offering greater opportunities for career progression, improved work-life balance and economic independence. Yet despite all this evidence, workers in Ireland still have no right to flexible remote work, only a right to request it. That is not good enough.
By removing the strain of long commutes, the pressure of securing affordable childcare, and the expectation of constant physical presence in the workplace, flexible working has eased daily pressures for thousands of families. While these benefits apply across the workforce, they are especially significant for women.
If we learned anything from 2020, it is that not every job needs to be done from an office, five days a week. Flexible working should not be considered a perk - it should be considered a workers’ right.
I am constantly updating constituents about delays to the DART+ Coastal North line and how there is no increase to bus capacity, especially the 33A and the 33X. These are delays people have no control over but that directly affect their livelihoods.
Granting that right would ease pressure on our transport system, reduce congestion, support childcare arrangements and improve quality of life for workers across my constituency of Dublin Fingal West.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-31T01:00:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21