Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Scahill for raising this important matter. He is right; it is about putting in place sustainability for rural Ireland and tackling the issues he rightly addressed. It is about ensuring we have a future in rural Ireland that is based on the needs of the people. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Calleary.

As the Senator will be aware, we have witnessed profound change in recent years in the area of remote working. As the Minister of State in the Department, I am a firm believer in the benefits that remote working can bring. It is a revolution that is waiting to further happen in rural Ireland, particularly in our rural communities. I am pleased to confirm that the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht continues to support the roll-out of remote working facilities throughout the country.

From a policy point of view, this Government's commitment to remote working is set out in our national remote working strategy, Making Remote Work. This policy was published by the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment four years ago and seeks to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits, as the Senator has articulated quite eloquently this morning. It emphasises the importance of adequate infrastructure to avail of remote working opportunities, both at home and in hubs, to ensure that the economic, social and environmental benefits of remote working are maximised. The strategy also commits to creating a conducive environment for remote working and building a remote work policy and guidance framework.

The importance of remote working is also strongly recognised in the national rural development policy, Our Rural Future, as the Senator has said. A key focus of Our Rural Future is to optimise digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities, ensuring equality of access to digital services. One of the key commitments set out in the policy in this regard was the establishment of a key network of 400 remote working hubs throughout the country by the end of this year. To this end, Connectedhubs.ie was launched in mid-2021. I am happy to confirm that there are now 387 hubs live on the network, which continues to grow and expand. Connected Hubs provides workplace solutions for remote workers, entrepreneurs and businesses. The hubs are more than workplaces; they are vibrant communities designed to create creativity and foster connections. The initiative is managed by the Western Development Commission in conjunction with our Department. I am sure that many Members, particularly Senator Scahill, are well aware of and have experienced at first hand the benefits of these hubs and the high-quality remote working options that are on the Connected Hubs network.It is important to note that the range of funding supports available for the development and establishment of remote working hubs and facilities has been key to the success of this initiative to date. In 2021 and 2022, some €14 million was allocated to a range of hubs across the country under what was termed the "Connected Hubs Call". This competitive funding stream allowed hubs to apply for funding to increase and improve the facilities they could offer to remote workers. A wide array of improved facilities was delivered under this scheme, including the provision of privacy booths, additional hot-desking facilities and the provision of more own-office facilities. This ensured that the hubs on the network were able to respond to and address the varying needs of remote workers across the country.

Similarly, a range of other schemes operated by our Department has also provided significant levels of funding for the development of remote working facilities in rural communities across the country in recent years. These schemes include the town and village renewal scheme, LEADER and the rural regeneration and development fund.

As Minister of State, I have been fortunate to see many of these high-quality projects first hand as they come to fruition. In June, I was in Mitchelstown and Cobh, where I opened two remote working hubs. Both of them are co-located in the local libraries and will be key assets in each town. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, visited the Station House hub in Hacketstown, which was funded through the town and village renewal scheme.

As the Senator said, it is about bringing the different actors together to offer a variety of services such as hot-desk facilities, enterprise supports and direct access to high-quality education. In this case, this was done in partnership with the South East Technological University. In other parts of the country, it will be done with other third level institutions.

This Government is committed to the concept of remote working. It is now firmly embedded in many of our lives. It is a change in our working world which has brought huge benefits. The Senator raised the GAA and other sporting organisations as an example. It is important that we build on what we have achieved and that we are held to account. I look forward to working with the Senator in the area of west Roscommon to ensure we can enhance the value and offering to people in rural parts of Ireland.