FOREWORD The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a profound impact on all of our working environments. In a matter of weeks, the operations of many private sector companies – whose activities were traditionally concentrated within urban areas – have been forced to suddenly shift to remote working, with companies utilising technology and adopting work practises in a manner and scale never seen before. With remote working very much becoming part of normal working patterns in certain sectors, it is clear that such changes have the potential to open up an array of economic and environmental opportunities for all of our regions. By supporting remote working, policy makers could help provide a wider range of options for workers and open opportunities for business solutions. This includes allowing some workers to live and work in geographical areas of their own choice, reducing business costs associated with commercial properties, staff retention and wellbeing benefits, access to a greater pool of applicants and talent, increasing productivity, reducing traffic congestion, enhancing quality of life and family time and
reducing the level of greenhouse gas emissions from car usage. From a strategic perspective, the ability of policy makers to utilise the potential benefits of remote working will also be a key factor in ensuring the vision and objectives of each Assembly’s Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) can be implemented, allowing for effective economic development to be achieved across Ireland. In this regard, the development of urban centres of scale continues to be a crucial component in addressing regional imbalances and remote working has the potential to enhance the growth prospects of our Metropolitan Areas, Designated Regional Growth Centres and Key Towns, as defined by each Assembly’s RSES. Furthermore, remote working has the potential to provide greater employment flexibility to all private sector workers whose jobs are considered to be remote workable, which could enhance the quality of life offering of each of our regions; a key objective of each Assembly’s RSES. In the long term, the degree to which regions can capitalise on these potential benefits will depend on a variety of factors - including but not limited to - the availability of co-working hubs with high quality facilities and the provision of high speed broadband within such hubs.
WITH REMOTE WORKING VERY MUCH BECOMING PART OF NORMAL WORKING PATTERNS IN CERTAIN SECTORS, IT IS CLEAR THAT SUCH CHANGES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO OPEN UP AN ARRAY OF ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR REGIONS.
Considering the potential use of co-working hubs in stimulating an inclusive economic recovery in our regions, the need to quantify the potential benefits of remote working across all of our regions has never been more important. In this context, the three Regional Assemblies of Ireland play a key role in advocating for policies and preparing research that will support regional development across Ireland. This involves providing advice and support to other appropriate public bodies of the regional implications of their policies and plans, with specific focus on planning and economic development. Under our remit, and in advance of the proposed “National Economic Recovery Plan” the three Regional Assemblies of Ireland are fully committed to utilising the potential benefits of remote working so all of our regions can experience an inclusive economic recovery.
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THE THREE REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES OF IRELAND
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