Labour’s Councillor Helen Ogbu has called for urgent action to make flexible and remote work a real, enforceable right for workers, warning that families and communities in Galway are paying the price for weak protections and a growing push to force people back into long commutes.
“People in Galway know the reality of work life pressure," Cllr Ogbu said. "Parents juggle school runs and childcare. Carers balance paid work with caring responsibilities. Workers spend hours every week stuck in traffic or on overcrowded public transport. Flexible and remote work has transformed daily life for many families here in Galway, yet that progress now feels under threat.
“Right now, the law does not protect workers in any meaningful way," she continued. "An employer can refuse a request for remote or flexible work and face no real challenge. That leaves workers in Galway with uncertainty and stress, even when their role can clearly be done from home. That is not balance and it is not fairness.
“The experience of recent years proved that flexible work can succeed," Cllr Ogbu added. "Businesses stayed open, productivity remained strong and many people who were previously locked out of the workforce were able to participate. In Galway, remote work has allowed people to stay in their communities, support local shops and services, and spend more time with their families instead of commuting.
“What we are seeing now is a quiet rollback," she warned. "More employers are demanding blanket returns to the office, regardless of job type or personal circumstances. Workers in Galway are being told to accept longer commutes and higher costs, that is a step backwards.
“Flexible work should never be treated as a perk or a reward. It is about dignity at work and quality of life. For workers in Galway, it can mean fewer childcare costs, better mental health and the chance to live locally rather than being pushed further away by housing pressures.
“Remote work also benefits our wider community. Less commuting means less congestion, lower emissions and stronger local economies. When people work closer to home, they spend locally and stay connected to their area. That matters in Galway.
“It’s time for Government to stop dragging its feet and to stand up for workers," Cllr Ogbu asserted. "I’m calling for the introduction of a real, enforceable right to flexible and remote work so that workers in Galway and across the State have certainty, fairness and a better quality of life.”
