Labour TD for Kildare South Mark Wall has said the case reported of a Kildare woman who was forced to leave her job because of a three hour daily commute on the N7 is a stark example of how Ireland’s broken commuting system is forcing workers out of vital roles.
Wall said the situation “underlines why the government’s rejection of Labour’s practical solutions, including the Work Life Balance (Right to Remote Work) Bill, was such a missed opportunity and called on Ministers to urgently outline what they will do to address the daily reality facing workers across Kildare and beyond.”
“The story reported today of a woman from Rathangan in Kildare who had to leave her job in Crumlin Children’s Hospital because the commute had become unbearable is deeply troubling but sadly it will resonate with thousands of workers across Kildare and the wider country. A three hour daily commute is simply not sustainable for any worker, particularly for someone working in a demanding role in a children’s hospital. Yet this is the reality facing people every day as they battle traffic gridlock and inadequate transport options,” he said.
“This is not an isolated case. Knocking on doors across Kildare, the issue of commuting comes up again and again. People are exhausted by the daily grind of spending hours sitting in traffic. Parents are missing time with their families. Workers are being pushed to the brink trying to balance long commutes with demanding jobs. For some, like the worker highlighted today, the situation becomes so unmanageable that they are forced to walk away from jobs they love.”
“This is exactly why Labour brought forward our Work Life Balance Bill. Our legislation would have created a clear legal right for workers to request remote or flexible working arrangements. It would have required employers to properly consider those requests and provide clear reasons where they cannot be accommodated. It would have put in place transparent processes so that workers are not simply dismissed out of hand when they ask for flexibility.
“Remote working is not a luxury. For many workers it is a practical solution that can ease pressure on roads, reduce commuting times, improve work life balance and allow people to remain in jobs that are essential to our communities. The Government voted against Labour’s Bill and in doing so they ignored the lived experience of workers across the country who are crying out for change.
“Labour has also put forward practical solutions to tackle commuter chaos directly. In a previous Labour Dáil motion we called for the establishment of rapid response teams to clear traffic incidents on key routes like the M7 and N7, the introduction of priority bus lanes on the M4, M7 and M9, and the development of a comprehensive action plan to improve public transport services including earlier morning and later evening options for workers. The Government voted against these measures too.
“What happened in this case is a perfect example of the wider problem. We have a housing crisis that pushes workers further and further away from their workplaces, a transport system that cannot cope with demand, and a Government that refuses to put real rights in place for remote working or take practical steps to ease commuter pressure.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael must stop ignoring the reality facing workers. We need real rights to remote work, serious investment in transport infrastructure and a joined up plan that recognises how people actually live and work. Ministers cannot continue to pretend that these stories are isolated incidents. Workers deserve solutions, and they deserve them now.”