Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I compliment you on your position as Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.You have been a fine pioneer of the Seanad since my involvement with you over the past number of years. I wish you every success in the Chair.

The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has launched a consultation process on remote working, something which, we are all aware, is getting a lot of attention in the media. There are many practicalities involved and we welcome this initiative. I am sure many different bodies will feed into the process. I ask the Leader to press the Minister to make the roll-out feasible. It will require financial incentives. The ideas and aspiration are lovely but there will have to be some hard financial incentives. If we do not outline what is needed now and look towards the coming budget, such change will not happen. I suggest a tax credit in the region of €5,000, or a figure to that effect, to assist and encourage organisations to continue with the reform, which has been most welcome.

I ask the Leader to request that the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, come to the House to discuss the Moorhead report. It is important to many Senators and to county councillors in particular. I welcome it. There is no doubt that it contains some anomalies, which we will need to tease out and work on.