To ask the Minister for the Economy to outline any support her Department is providing to enable parents in rural areas to access flexible employment opportunities.

I understand the challenges faced by parents in rural areas in accessing flexible employment and my Department is involved in a range of supportive measures which contribute to boosting workforce participation and supporting families.

On 28 April 2025, I announced my intention to modernise the employment law framework in the north of Ireland through my forthcoming Employment Rights Bill. This includes an enhancement of the right to make a statutory flexible working request for all employees from the first day of employment and increasing the number of permissible statutory requests within a rolling 12 month period to two.

These changes will benefit parents in rural communities. These important legislative developments will make a significant contribution to my economic vision, promoting regional balance and creating good jobs, and will allow individuals to balance their work with their family and private life.

The recent completion of Project Stratum has improved the availability of broadband services to over 81,000 premises including open countryside and small villages with population less than 1,000 people.

Invest NI’s Alternative Talent Pathways initiative supports local businesses to identify and engage with groups who are under-represented in the labour market to streamline pathways to sustainable employment. In addition, the Labour Relations Agency continues to highlight to employers the options and benefits of flexible working.

Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs) are a critical part of my regional balance agenda, and eleven Partnerships have now been set up across the North. My Department and Invest NI will continue to work closely with the Partnerships to develop action plans which they believe will have a positive impact on regional economic disparities and regional balance, including those in rural areas.

My Department’s range of skills initiatives include online courses, delivered through both further and higher education institutions, which offer increased accessibility for parents in rural areas to create progression pathways to flexible employment.