Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
2184. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of hubs that have joined the connected hubs network and have been onboarded onto the ConnectedHubs.ie platform; when she expects to reach the target of 400 hubs nationwide; her future plans for the development of additional hubs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42535/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy, was published in March 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.
Last year I launched the National Hub Network together with its online booking platform, connectedhubs.ie. It is a single network that provides users with information on the location of, and facilities available at, remote working hubs throughout Ireland. The network includes a diverse range of hubs, services and facilities.
There are currently 279 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie 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.
On 8 June, I announced the 81 projects that were successful in securing funding from the 2022 Connected Hubs Call, allocating €5 million to add additional capacity to existing remote working hubs and Broadband Connection Points throughout the country. This follows the award of almost €9 million in funding allocated via the 2021 Connected Hubs Call. To date my department has invested over €100 million to support the establishment, improvement and sustainability of hubs, many of them operated by public bodies, social enterprises and community groups.
Following strong progress on the establishment phase of the project, my focus has now shifted to the next stage of development: the long-term sustainability and evolution of the hub network To this end, my officials have been consulting with hub managers across the country, with local authorities and communities, and with other stakeholders, to better inform the future strategic direction of the National Hub Network and the connectedhubs.ie platform.
I am also pleased to say that the connectedhubs.ie team, have for some time been developing a corporate service to engage with and support corporate clients 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 a significant opportunity for workers and employers to make good use of a national asset of scale and significance.
I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network 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.
