Flexible Work and Commuter Delays: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Johnny Guirke (SF), Meath West

Over the past few years, we have seen how working from home and the essential right to request remote and flexible work has had its benefits and the power to shape a fairer, more productive and more resilient economy if managed correctly. The Government is required by law to review the right to request remote working legislation through a public consultation. Since the right was introduced in March 2024, approximately 60 complaints have been made to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. This captures both the gains and the gaps we must address.
For thousands of people, flexible and remote work has been life-changing. It is not a luxury but a necessity for working parents, those facing long commutes and people priced out of the housing market in major urban areas. It has helped many to remain in the workforce and opened doors for people across the country. A right to flexible work is a right to a more equal and modern economy. The right to request to work from home was a drawn-out process, from the publication of the general scheme of the Bill on the right to request remote working in 2021 to the publication in the code of practice. At different stages, the legislation to deliver a right to request remote working was rewritten, amended and moved from one Department to another.
We had reservations and worried that the code of practice published did not strike a fair balance between the rights of workers and the rights of businesses. The code gives workers the right to request remote working, a request that must be underpinned with a detailed explanation as to why they wish to work in this fashion. Some of the reasoning assessed, such as the inclusion of the distance between the worker's home and their place of work, is an overreach. There is also a checklist of measures for an employer to consider for a request, many of which appear designed to take power away from the worker.
Workers must jump through a multitude of hoops to access remote working. Yet, these arrangements can be refused, changed, withdrawn or terminated with ease. Thankfully, the code of practice provides avenues for workers to vindicate their rights through the WRC. Still, we fear the code has afforded too much power to employers to deny legitimate remote working requests. For years, Sinn Féin has argued that the right to request remote working should be judged on whether workers can have confidence that it compels employers to be fair, reasonable and consistent in their considerations. We remain unconvinced the code does this and we will be watching the outcome of the review with close attention.
There is a practical side to this debate that ties directly into people's daily lives; namely, transport. Working from home has real benefits for our transport and road networks. It reduces congestion, lowers wear and tear on the roads and eases pressure on public transport systems. However, for many in County Meath, transport remains a persistent problem. Meath is known for its poor and unreliable transport links. The Navan rail line has been promised for years, yet tangible progress remains slow. People in Meath are paying significant tolls, with year-on-year increases, and the Government seems happy to sit back and allow this to happen. Congestion is getting worse. Just look at what is happening on the M50. The unreliable bus services in Meath, often described as "ghost buses", leave commuters waiting on the roadside for buses that never arrive.
Despite these failures, some operators have recently been awarded new contracts. Many constituents in Meath have contacted me as they are struggling to get a date for an NCT for their car. Cases like this make the commute to work harder.

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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