National Broadband Plan will play a fundamental role in delivery of flexible working
Speaking in the Dáil on the National Broadband Plan, Labour communications spokesperson Duncan Smith said in order to ensure a functioning flexible work culture in Ireland, the broadband capacity simply must catch up.
Deputy Smith said:
“All week, we in the Labour Party have been talking about flexible work and people working from home. It is time to have a national conversation about how we regenerate our towns and villages in a way that reflects the societal change of the last two years. The NBI is the lifeblood of any of that being a success.
“The broadband plan is so far behind and so far delayed that questions must be asked of the investment firms that are backing up the NBI. The Minister must sit down with these providers and understand if they are in it for the long haul with the true desire to deliver on the goals of the plan.
“The NBI has been dogged by confusion since its inception but now that we have seen the overnight shift in the future of work, government must step up to the mark and ensure its swift delivery. The development over the last two years in both information technology and the increased knowledge of how to use it has been a game changer, enabling many of us to work throughout the pandemic from our homes or local workplace hubs. These gains cannot be lost.
“There has been no shortage of plans, strategies, and proposals from government to deliver on the NBI but what has been lacking is an urgency of implementation. The pandemic has changed our lives and our perspectives, and there can be no going back to the way things were.”