Tuesday, 25 Apr 2023

Flexible Work Practices

Ceisteanna (61, 99, 113)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

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]

Amharc ar fhreagra

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]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

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]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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.

Ukraine War

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 79, 89, 93, 98 and 109 together.

In January I launched the Community Recognition Fund which aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.

The funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in communities, towns and villages that are hosting the beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection applicants.

The Fund will support the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all members of the community. It is separate in its objectives and scope to any other public funding streams which aim to support the development of public service needs arising from the significant number of arrivals from Ukraine.

The Community Recognition Fund is being administered at a local level by the relevant local authority. A funding proposal, comprising of projects selected and prioritised locally, was submitted to my Department by each local authority for final approval.

A key principle of the Fund was the need for local authorities to engage with impacted communities. The funding proposals submitted by each local authority were developed based on direct engagement with impacted communities and in consultation with the Municipal Districts, Local Community Development Committee and the local Community Response Fora.

I am happy to confirm that over 830 proposed projects are included in the funding proposals received from local authorities, with the full €50 million being applied for. I would like to thank all those who were involved in the consultations and the development of these proposals in communities all across Ireland. It was important to me that the projects were developed in consultation with communities so that the best value for money could be achieved in a way that ensures clear impacts and benefits for those communities.

The Fund is structured on a 2 year basis, and the applications received from local authorities reflect this structure. This means that some projects will be delivered this year, and others in 2024. €30m of this Fund will be allocated for those projects to be delivered in 2023, with the remaining €20 allocated for projects to be delivered in 2024.

The funding proposals are under consideration in the Department and I expect to make an announcement on them shortly as I am aware that local authorities and communities are anxious to commence work on projects. As part of that announcement all the successful projects will be published on my Department’s website.

Questions Nos. 64 to 66, inclusive, answered orally.