Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1500. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total number of hubs onboarded in each county since the national hub network (connectedhubs.ie) was launched; and the total amount of funding in each county towards same, in tabular form. [36997/23]
View answerOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.
In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been strategically developing the National Hub Network and the shared online booking platform connectedhubs.ie, adding capacity to Ireland's existing remote working infrastructure, and supporting the establishment of new hubs.
In May 2021 I launched the National Hub Network and its online booking platform, connectedhubs.ie. The platform offers a suite of booking and hub management applications to members of the Network. It also facilitates the sharing of innovation, experience and best practices across the community. These Connected Hubs supports serve to maximise benefit to member hubs, hub clients, local communities and the wider economy.
To date, 321 hubs have joined the Connected Hub Network and been on-boarded to the platform. This number is growing all the time, meaning we are well on track to meet our target of 400 remote working hubs nationwide by 2025. A breakdown by county of on-boarded hubs has been provided in Appendix 1.
To date, approximately €150m has been invested by my Department towards the establishment and development of remote working facilities through programmes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. Successful projects are developed in collaboration with local authorities and communities, with many projects seeing vacant and derelict buildings in rural towns and villages converted into remote working hubs.
In terms of direct funding supports for hubs on the connected hubs network, in 2021 and 2022 my Department provided €14 million in funding to almost 200 projects via the Connected Hubs Call under the umbrella of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This funding enabled successful applicants to add additional capacity to existing remote working infrastructure in digital hubs and Broadband Connection Points across the network.
A breakdown by county of 2021 and 2022 Connected Hubs Call funding has also been provided in Appendix 1.
