Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2021
35. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way in which communities can make submissions as part of Our Rural Future - Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 towards creating digital hubs and shared workspaces; the funding and assistance being put in place by her Department in this regard; the awareness campaigns that are being planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26789/21]
View answerThe increased shift to remote working as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has given us the opportunity for a greater regional distribution of jobs and to support a better quality of life for many people who previously spent many hours in long commutes. This is a key focus of the Government's new rural development policy Our Rural Future.
Remote working, supported by appropriate infrastructure and facilities, has the potential to encourage more people to live in rural areas while working in good quality jobs, no matter where their employer is based. It can also help revitalise our rural town if remote working hubs are developed in their centres. There is also significant scope to leverage existing and future hub developments to support a reduction in commuting and a shift to active transport solutions.
Building on an initiative by the Western Development Commission in developing a network of remote working and co-working hubs along the western seaboard, an Inter-Departmental Working Group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established last October to oversee the development of a National Hub Network.
In addition to the supports and tools being developed under the National Hub Network programme, I have allocated €5 million to fund a Connected Hubs Call under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme this year. This initiative will provide funding to support small scale capital works in existing hubs, both public and private, and Broadband Connection Points. Details of the Connected Hubs Call were announced on Thursday April 29th and are available at: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/d916d7-digital-initiatives-schemes/#connected-communities-initiative.
My Department also continues to invest significantly in the development of new Hub facilities across the country. Since 2015, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme has provided €7.8m in funding to hubs and hub-related projects. Many of the successful projects involve the regeneration of historic town centre buildings as Enterprise and Co-Working Hubs. I announced a further call for proposals under the Town and Village Scheme on the 3rd of May. Further details are available at: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/01125e-town-and-village-renewal-scheme/
In addition to funding through the Town and Village Scheme, €65m has also been invested in hub projects through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund since 2018. A further call for projects under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will issue later this year.
