Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2021
610. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a list of all confirmed remote working hubs will be provided; the hubs that are currently operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34237/21]
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.
The National Hub Network expanded from a €1m scheme that was funded under the 2019 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan. This project was originally scoped to develop a hub network, supported by a shared online platform for remote working facilities in the Atlantic Economic Corridor. However, in light of the clear demand for such a network across the county, this was expanded to a national project that would support both Our Rural Future and the National Remote Working strategy.
I launched the National Hub Network, connectedhubs.ie, on 31 May in the Swinford Digiwest Hub in Co. Mayo. Since the launch less than a month ago, a further 13 hubs have been added to the platform with an additional 34 in the process of being onboarded. Furthermore, the number of hubs identified through the Western Development Commission's hub discovery process has increased from 390 to 477 in that time. These are in the process of being verified before they are mapped on https://connectedhubs.ie/nationalhubsmap.html. This interacive map shows all the hubs that are verified as part of the discovery process, and also provides useful information in relation to each of the hubs and the services that are available at each site.
This represents significant progress and demonstrates the value of the network. I am confident that the ambitious targets that I set for the development of the network will be exceeded by year end.
