Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2024
608. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to encourage the build-up of state-of-the-art technology hubs at convenient locations throughout the country to enable many enterprises to have the benefits of an office setting without the necessity of travel to more distant locations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4295/24]
View answerOur Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing an integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. There are already 342 hubs on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform. This number continues to grow and is on track to meet our commitment.
The initial focus of the Connected Hubs initiative was on establishing the network of hubs, achieving an initial critical mass and on raising awareness to relevant stakeholders, including SMEs/business owners,. This was underpinned by significant levels of investment by my Department through the range of schemes included in the Rural Development Investment Programme.
I am now focused on the next stage of development of the network. To this end my Department is currently leading, with colleagues from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and in consultation with hub managers, local authorities and communities, and with other stakeholders, on the formulation of a National Hub Strategy which I intend to bring to Government this year.
The Strategy will inform the future strategic direction of the National Hub Network and ensure the strategic development and sustainability of Ireland’s Hub Infrastructure.
I have always been clear 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. Hubs, whether enterprise or community focused, draw employers and employees to areas of innovation and opportunity.
I am pleased to say that the Connected Hubs team have, for some time, been developing a corporate service to engage with and support enterprises 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 that this work represents significant opportunities for employers of all sizes to leverage the National Hub Network directly.
I am a firm believer that remote working has been a game changer for rural Ireland, bringing new vitality and economic activity to our towns and villages. I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network initiative 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.
