Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
870. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will provide details of such hubs (details supplied) in counties Cavan, Monaghan and north Meath areas in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10867/22]
View answerOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Notwithstanding the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators, remote working from hubs will also support local economies, reduce carbon emissions and may arrest or reverse the depopulation of certain areas.
Last May I launched the National Connected Hubs network together with the connectedhubs.ie platform. The platform offers a suite of booking and hub management applications to members of the Network. There are currently 202 hubs live on the platform, with this number increasing on an ongoing basis. In total 10 of these 202 hubs are located across counties Cavan, Meath and Monaghan (with a further 33 hubs within these counties mapped for invitation to join the network). The attached table provides a breakdown for these figures .
My Department continues to fund the establishment and development of remote working hubs under a number of funding streams. For example, under the Connected Hubs 2021 funding call, approximately €800,000 was awarded to applicants across counties Cavan, Meath and Monaghan enabling the enhancement of their remote working facilities. Hub facilities that benefitted from this funding included The Station House in County Monaghan, Cavan Digital Hub in County Cavan and Teach Raithneach Heritage & Cultural Centre, a Broadband Connection Point (BCP) facility in County Meath.
I have also recently announced funding of €18.5m under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Successful projects included 28 remote working proposals, with support awarded to the Kilmainhamwood Multipurpose Centre in Meath to develop multi-purpose and remote working spaces.
I also recently launched the 2022 Connected Hubs Call, a €5 million funding stream to further support remote working facilities (including BCPs) throughout the country and add further capacity to the National Hub Network.
Details of all these schemes and successful applications are available at www.gov.ie.
The development of a National Hubs Network is a key commitment in Our Rural Future and I am committed to continuing my Department's support for the ongoing development of a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs in recognition of the vital role that they can play in our post-Covid recovery.
[<a href="https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/debates/questions/supportingDocumentation/2022-03-01_pq870-01-03-22_en.docx">connectedhubs</a>
