As a boy, I spent much of the summer in the backseat of my teammates’ parents’ cars. Our journeys would usually begin at our local GAA pitch and see us drive through the “village”, passing the closed post office, closed garda station, boarded up hardware and derelict garage. By the time we arrived in the away team’s dressing room, we would have passed through countless similar villages.
Fast forward to 2020 and I am preparing to join the work force. Co Wexford, for all her natural beauty, does not present many opportunities for young economists. Or accountants. Or computer scientists. I, like my peers, will need to be in Dublin, with its exorbitant rents and congestion.
This need not be the case. As we “open up” following COVID-19, we ought to consider the Ireland that we wish to reopen. As I sit here roughly five miles from the ancestral home of former US president John F Kennedy. I am reminded of a quote from the great man: “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.” We are fighting through the danger. Now we should talk about the opportunity.
I shudder to think at the combined sum of money that these people pay in rent to landlords in Dublin
People all over the country are discovering – as are their Dublin-based employers – that they can function in their roles proficiently from their homes. I shudder to think at the combined sum of money that these people pay in rent to landlords in Dublin. I cannot help but feel that many of these people would rent, buy or build a house in their rural native areas in a heartbeat if they could work remotely on a permanent basis; while spending their wages locally.
Family and community bonds would be allowed to remain intact while ambitious young people still pursue their career goals. Mid-week sports training sessions with full panels present could reappear. Parents and grandparents would no longer keep in touch merely on weekends or by phone. And a rising tide gathers all boats. These people would be getting their cars fixed, getting their hair cut and someday, building houses and paying for piano lessons. This may be what allows people in local service industries to start successful businesses in rural Ireland, as opposed to Dublin.
Consider the effect on the Dublin housing market with so many people working remotely
The recent general election was contested on three main issues: housing, healthcare and the environment. This proposed change in working life represents one solution to the housing crisis. Consider the effect on the Dublin housing market with so many people working remotely. Charging €700 a month for a single bedroom becomes less feasible if five people – and not 50 – call you about a viewing.
We cannot afford to lose sight of the climate emergency. One must remember that people from rural Ireland don’t always move to Dublin. Many commute at great personal and environmental cost. And anybody who has swapped the M50 or the N11 for time spent exercising or with family over the last few months can attest to the mental and physical health benefits too.
Clearly, one must recognise that very few students want to spend four years living at home and studying
It seems that we are being presented with a great opportunity to address the issues that we have been facing for years. This will not just happen on its own. Politicians and policy makers need to be creative. Tax incentives should be used to encourage employers to allow workers to work from home. Public universities in Dublin should offer students a means, exactly as they are doing now, of studying from home. Clearly, one must recognise that very few students want to spend four years living at home and studying, but students could be taught in trimesters, rotating between on-campus and remote learning. Even this adjustment would greatly reduce the number of students seeking housing in Dublin at any one time.
Discussions should begin immediately between employers, employees and state bodies if we are to change the way we work and live. Things will go back to normal. I believe, however, that we need to have a serious talk about what normal is in Ireland.
Luke Kent (24) is a native of Co Wexford. In 2014, he was accepted at Mercyhurst University