Flexible Work Practices

Tuesday, 25 April 2023

Questions (61, 99, 113)

Holly Cairns

Question:

61. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps she is taking to support and promote employment and remote working on offshore islands. [19393/23]

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99. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if remote working hubs can be expanded in the constituency of Cork east, and in towns such as Midleton and Youghal. [19383/23]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

113. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has assessed the potential of the high-speed broadband network to create potential for rural development and the number of projects emerging for support from her Department's programmes which utilise its potential. [19323/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 61, 99 and 113 together.

As stated in Our Rural Future, there is an overall ambition for Government to transform digital connectivity for rural communities and enterprises. I want to close the digital divide between rural and urban communities to ensure that those living in rural communities, including our offshore islands, are provided with the same opportunities for remote working, online trading and for education as those in larger urban areas. I am working to achieve this goal by providing significant funding and support through my Department.

Over recent years, my Department has allocated significant funding to rural communities around the country, including our populated offshore islands, to support the use of digital connectivity. These programmes have been designed to ensure that infrastructure and services are made available to meet the changing needs of our rural communities. These schemes also support job creation and enable people to stay in or return to their communities, which may not have been possible previously. I am determined to see these achievements built on.

There are 10 offshore islands with Broadband Connection Points. These BCPs are provided with a wireless temporary high-speed broadband connection for public use. BCPs are intended to be long-term, digitally-enabled community assets that allow for onsite internet use by the public. Aside from general community use / amenity, they may be used for remote work and study, eHealth services, arts and culture activities and skills training and digital literacy.

Furthermore, approximately €14 million in funding was awarded through the Connected Hubs 2021 and 2022 Calls, with more than 180 projects successfully securing funding enabling them to add additional capacity to existing hubs throughout the country, including 4 projects on our off-shore islands.

In 2021 I launched ConnectedHubs.ie, a shared online booking and payments platform for member hubs and their users. There are currently 315 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform, including Castlelyons Community Hub, eFermoy Hub and Enterprise Youghal Hub in the Cork East area. A further 20 facilities in County Cork have been mapped and identified to potentially join the Connected Hubs network including Mitchelstown Community Enterprise Centre and Watersedge Midleton Hub. An interactive map is available on connectedhubs.ie showing the location and details of each remote working hub on the network.

Question No. 62 answered orally.