Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2023
161. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the capital, current and total budget 2023 allocation for the National Remote Work Strategy; the capital, current and total budget 2022 allocation for the National Remote Work Strategy; the percentage difference compared to the budget 2023 allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4482/23]
View answerMy Department published the National Remote Work Strategy on 15 January 2021. The strategy identified 15 actions to ensure that remote work is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits.
My Department led the development and implementation of the Strategy’s actions during 2021 and 2022 through the Remote Work Interdepartmental Group (IDG) which includes representatives of thirty Government Departments, State Agencies and other relevant public bodies. The IDG will continue to meet in 2023 to drive and coordinate remote working policy across Government.
The delivery of specific actions and initiatives to facilitate remote working are led by individual Departments and Agencies and in this context, there is no single, dedicated budget allocation relating to the National Remote Work Strategy.
Budget 2023 set out allocations for 2023 for all Departments. The Revised Estimates Volumes published in December 2022 sets out further details on the specifics of these allocations. Any costs related to remote working policy would fall within these allocations. The management of resources in this regard is a matter for each individual Department and Minister.
I would however highlight the following examples of the significant investments made in facilitating remote working across the country by Departments represented on the Remote Work IDG:
- My Department has invested in the development of enterprise/co-working hubs in every region of the country through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) and Border Enterprise Development Fund (BEDF) with approximately 40 Enterprise Centres/hubs having secured funding through those funds. These projects are at various stages of development.
Enterprise Centres and hubs are key infrastructure which provide affordable physical workspace for businesses across the country, spaces for start-ups, training and collaborative spaces as well as delivering training and soft supports to their tenants and other companies in their locality. Many of these hubs also provide co-working / remote working space though that is not their only purpose.
In 2022, €5 million was allocated to the REDF and a further €12 million in funding was sanctioned to assist with the completion of projects under the REDF and BEDF, for projects that have been delayed or interrupted due to increased construction and construction-related costs in 2022 and 2023.
- In May 2021, the National Hub Network and ConnectedHubs.ie platform were launched by the Western Development Commission. As part of this, the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) provided approximately €14 million in funding through the Connected Hubs Calls (€8.9 million in 2021 and €5.1 million in 2022) to upgrade Ireland’s hub and remote working infrastructure. The DRCD is currently awaiting the results of impact assessment which will inform future funding calls.
- To date, a total of approximately €100 million in funding has been provided through funding streams managed by the DRCD and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) to develop Ireland’s hub and remote working infrastructure to ensure that communities across the country are able to benefit from the opportunities presented by increased remote working.
- The Deputy may wish to note that my Department and the DRCD will lead on the development of a National Hub Strategy which will bring together in a single strategy the various national policies and schemes into a coherent and over-arching development strategy and identify opportunities to further leverage the National Hub Network as an enabler of enterprise, regional job growth, sustainable and resilient communities and as a contributor to achieving to Ireland’s climate action goals
The Strategy, which will be published towards the end of 2023, will examine, amongst other things, the distribution, sustainability and impact of enterprise centres and hubs across all regions of the country.
- An important objective outlined in the National Remote Work Strategy has been to accelerate the delivery of the National Broadband Plan (NBP). While the Plan was negatively impacted by COVID-19, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications is continuing to engage National Broadband Ireland, and the project has been building momentum and month on month, momentum which will continue into 2023. The cost of the NBP in 2022 was €177.3 million, and the budget allocation for 2023 is €212.2 million.
The cross-Government investments outlined above are making a very significant contribution to realising the objectives of the National Remote Work Strategy, particularly in terms of promoting balanced regional, rural and community development both now and into the future.
