Joe Flaherty
Question:46. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way that her Department is supporting community hubs for enterprise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24960/22]
View answerTuesday, 31 May 2022
Questions (46, 56)
Joe Flaherty
Question:56. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way that her Department is supporting community hubs for enterprise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18636/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 56 together.
Our Rural Future clearly sets out the transformative effects that remote working can have in communities across Ireland. Accordingly, over recent years my department has invested some €100 million in the sector, to build, improve and expand hubs.
In May 2021 I launched the National Hub Network - connectedhubs.ie. The National Hub Network currently comprises 236 remote and co-working facilities across the State. These facilities have been onboarded to connectedhubs.ie, the shared online booking and payments platform for member hubs and their users. The network includes a diverse range of hubs, services and facilities, thus facilitating companies of different sizes. It is expected that, in time, the National Hub Network and the connectedhubs.ie platform will include more than 400 facilities. Details for the onboarded hub facilities can be obtained via the Connected hubs platform - www.connectedhubs.ie .
Last year, through the Connected Hubs 2021 scheme I awarded almost €9 million in funding to over 100 applicants enabling them to add additional capacity to existing remote working hubs and BCPs across the country.
In February of this year, I launched the 2022 Connected Hubs Call, allocating a further €5 million in funding for the ongoing development in remote working facilities and BCPs - the 2022 evaluation process has now concluded and I will be announcing the successful applicants very shortly.
To date my focus has been on establishing the network and on achieving the initial critical mass. Following strong progress on the establishment phase of the project, my focus has now shifted to the next stage of development. To this end, my officials have been consulting with hub managers across the country, and with other stakeholders, to better inform the future strategic direction of the National Hub Network and of the connectedhubs.ie platform. .
In February I announced the commencement of a major promotional campaign to raise awareness of the Connected Hubs network to relevant stakeholders, including SMEs/business owners and new hub users.
Connected Hubs is gaining a significant profile, both at home and abroad. Earlier this year I announced a partnership with Zoom, a company synonymous with remote working. The Network also works closely with the technology and innovation leader Cisco. There are significant opportunities for employers of all sizes to leverage the National Hub Network directly. More workers than ever are expressing a preference for remote work and more employers, noting the strong professional performance of so many remote workers, see their own interests reflected in the those of their employees.
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 the development of the corporate service represents another great step forward for the National hub Network .
This shift of focus will help to ensure that the network continues to provide the level of service that employers and employees need and expect.
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.