Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his words of encouragement. Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021-25, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Accordingly, over recent years, my Department has invested some €100 million in the sector to build, improve and expand hubs.

In May 2021, I launched the national hub network. This currently comprises 236 remote and co-working facilities across the State. These facilities have been onboarded to connectedhubs.ie, which is the shared online booking and payments platform for member hubs and their users. The network includes a range of hubs catering for a wide variety of remote and co-working needs. It is expected that, in time, the network and the platform will include more than 400 facilities. Of the 236 hubs on the connectedhubs.ieplatform, 23 are located in County Cork. A further 17 hubs throughout the county, including the Enterprise Youghal hub, have been invited to join the network.

Through the connected hubs 2021 scheme, I awarded almost €9 million in funding to more than 100 applicants, enabling them to add capacity to existing remote working hubs and broadband connection points, BCPs, across the country. More than €425,000 was allocated to County Cork, with funding going to, among others, Macroom E Enterprise Centre, the Benchspace hub and Republic of Work. In February this year, I launched the 2022 connected hubs call, allocating a further €5 million in funding for the development of our national hub network. The evaluation process has now concluded and I will be announcing the successful applicants shortly. I am committed to continuing my Department's support for the ongoing strategic development of a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs in recognition of the vital role they can play in our post-Covid recovery.

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