Mr. Denis Curran:

On positioning regions for investment, we do so across multiple different criteria. One is the promotion of remote working where we have client companies interested in the infrastructure for remote working. They are interested in that when they are looking at growing the talent pool on which they can draw, as Mr. Shanahan mentioned, to populate open roles they may have. We also see it as a strong benefit for people who are living in regional locations that where there are open roles and remote working roles, they are able to access them on an ongoing basis.

We are involved in multiple initiatives. Some are at a national Government policy level and others at local level. At at national Government policy level, we are working with our parent Department on an inter-agency and interdepartmental group on the implementation of the remote working strategy and on best practice, training, education and all operational aspects of remote working, either from home or from a remote working hub. We are also working with the Department of Rural and Community Development on the national hub infrastructure. That working group comprises multiple agencies, including the Western Development Commission, Enterprise Ireland and our Department.

The current position is that the connected hubs platform was launched last year. It brings together the locations of all the connected hubs across every county and region. We are populating that website on an ongoing basis. There is a one-stop shop with regard to the visibility of all the remote working hubs in Cork and any other county. To date, 177 hubs have registered on the connected hubs website. Based on our desk research, there are over 400 hubs in existence across the country. Obviously, they are of varying degrees of quality and scale but as they migrate to the connected hubs website, employers will be able to see in real time the infrastructure across all the regions and how they can tap into that to grow their talent pool regardless of where the talent resides. There are multiple working hubs in east Cork and across the county, including in Skibbereen, Woodgate, Macroom and Blackrock, and these will be part of the connected hubs platform.

Ballyadam is a fantastic site, as Mr. Shanahan said. We are actively marketing the site to potential investors at the moment. As it is the subject of a live planning application, the Deputy will understand if I do not go into too much detail on it. On the conclusion of the planning process, when we are in a position to share the funding requirement for any infrastructure upgrades that may be approved, we will be happy to do so with the Deputy. As Mr. Shanahan said, with any development that we undertake, whether our own business and technology parks speed and infrastructure upgrade or a building programme that might impact on any neighbouring enterprises or community, we have an outreach programme with our neighbours. We will adopt the same practice for any potential development in relation to Ballyadam.