Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2022
945. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of connected hubs in north County Kildare under the Government's connected hubs initiative; if Maynooth, Celbridge, Clane and Straffan will be included; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32789/22]
View answerOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025.
In furtherance of this commitment, my Department continues to focus on strategically developing the national hubs network, and adding capacity to Ireland's existing remote working infrastructure.
In May 2021, I launched the National Hub Network together with the platform connectedhubs.ie. The National Hub Network currently comprises of 249 remote and co-working facilities that have been onboarded onto the Connected Hubs platform. This includes 8 hubs in county Kildare, which are as follows:
- National Equine Innovation Centre (NEIC) (Kildare),
- ACDAL Remote Working Hub (Allenwood),
- Newbridge Business Centre (Newbridge),
- The Hub at Ballymore Eustace (Ballymore Eustace),
- Premier Business Centres @ The Osprey (Naas),
- MERITS (Naas),
- Venture House (Ballitore),
- County Kildare Chamber iHub (Naas).
A further 5 hubs in Kildare have also been invited to join the National network, as follows:
- Monasterevin Community Centre (Monasterevin),
- Athy Community Enterprise Centre (Athy),
- AgTechUCD Innovation Centre (Celbridge),
- Clane Project Centre (Clane),
- Business Barn (Leixlip).
Connectedhubs.ie is a 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.
In February of this year, I launched the 2022 Connected Hubs Call, allocating €5 million in funding to add additional capacity to the existing remote working infrastructure in remote working hubs and Broadband Connection Points throughout the country.
On Wednesday 8 June, I announced that 81 projects across the country were successful in securing funding via the Connected Hubs 2022 scheme. This included approximately €250,000 being awarded to the following 5 hubs/BCPs in county Kildare - Kildare Chamber I Hub, Merits, Athy Community Enterprise Centre, the National Equine Innovation Centre and Venture House.
Details of the successful projects can be found on my Department website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/49822-2021-connected-hubs-fund-successful-applicants/
I have been clear throughout my tenure as Minister for Rural and Community Development 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.
I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, as set out in Our Rural Future.
