Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 December 2020
32. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total investment in hubs capital infrastructure in the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43753/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has invested in the development of enterprise/co-working hubs in every region. Under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, the Border Enterprise Development Fund, the Community Enterprise Centre Scheme, and the Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme, Enterprise Ireland has invested over €180 million in these infrastructures. Based on Enterprise Ireland’s analysis, approximately 3,200 co-working/enterprise spaces are being developed across 45 of the 117 projects supported under these Funds.
These facilities provide affordable physical workspace for businesses across the country, deliver training and soft supports to their tenants and other companies in their locality and regional area, and offer co-working facilities.
To support enterprise centres impacted by COVID-19, Enterprise Ireland ran a €12 million competitive fund to provide eligible enterprise centres with financial support for the implementation of a 6 to 12 - month Recovery Plan. On the 20th November, I announced €8.24m in grants for 95 Enterprise Centres. The 95 enterprise centres, which are in every region of the country, will receive grants ranging from €10k to €150k.
To build on the capacity of Enterprise Centres, Incubator Hubs and Shared Office Space to offer remote working facilities, a central objective of Enterprise Ireland’s regional strategy, Powering the Regions, is the Worksmart Challenge. This challenge aims to support 10,000 co-working and incubation spaces regionally.
There are a broad range of digital/enterprise/community hubs currently operating across the country, both publicly and privately funded, including social enterprises. The Western Development Commission has mapped over 100 remote working hubs within the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) region alone and aim to develop a network of facilities in the AEC region for remote workers, students and for community use.
The Deputy may wish to note that an Interdepartmental Working Group has been established to further develop a national network of remote working hubs and a senior official from my Department is a member of that Group.
