Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
633. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to promote the development of digital hubs throughout the country to facilitate companies seeking to avail of working from home thus ensuring the alleviation of traffic congestion, housing shortages and energy savings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49987/23]
View answerOur Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing an integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. I am pleased to say that we are well on our way to meeting this commitment.
There are now 330 hubs on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform and this number is growing all the time. The initial focus of the Connected Hubs initiative was on establishing the network of hubs, achieving this initial critical mass and on raising awareness to relevant stakeholders, including SMEs/business owners, underpinned by significant levels of investment by my Department through the range of schemes included in the Rural Development Investment Programme.
My focus has since shifted to the next stage of development. Through the work of the Interdepartmental Steering Group for the National Hub Network, my officials are working on a new strategy which will set out a future direction for the network in the coming years. This strategy will help inform future decisions on the sustainable development of hubs and enable a coherent approach to planning and investment in the hub sector. My overall objective is to ensure the long term sustainability of Ireland’s hub network.
I have always been clear that balanced regional development, sustainable and thriving communities, and indeed the wider national economy will all benefit from workers and employers embracing the remote working revolution. Hubs, whether enterprise or community focused, draw employers and employees to areas of innovation and opportunity.
I am pleased to say that the connectedhubs.ie team have for some time been developing a corporate service to engage with and support corporate clients interested in using our nationwide Network to accommodate their employees, but also to gain access to the vast pool of talent that Ireland has to offer, whether those talented people live in our cities, towns, villages or rural parishes. I believe that this work represents significant opportunities for employers of all sizes to leverage the National Hub Network directly.
I am a firm believer that remote working has been a game changer for rural Ireland, and that the supports for remote working hubs that my Department has in place will help to ensure that we can continue to take advantage of all the benefits that it brings.
