Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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296. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will address a matter regarding relocating to digital hubs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16182/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department and its agencies are actively engaged in the development of regional digital hubs/ehubs which provide the opportunity for relocation and for full-time or part-time remote working. A number of projects which have been offered funding under, for example, the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), are already prototype ehubs and should develop over time into more sustainable ehubs in their own right.  

Indeed, Sneem Innovation & Tech Services received funding of €250,000 under Call 1 of the REDF which will see the re-purposing of an old dance hall in Sneem village to an ehub, facilitating home and hub working as well as supporting start-ups and microenterprises in the area.

In the context of the further development of ehubs, as envisaged in Project Ireland 2040, in support of efforts to expand entrepreneurship and start-ups in every region, Enterprise Ireland is addressing the need to expand and further develop co-working initiatives including through existing community enterprise centres.

The relevant projects funded as part of the first and second Calls of the REDF that I launched in December 2017 and December 2018 are set out in the tables below. I hope to be in a position to announce a further Regional Fund this year.

EDF funding for eHubs/Enterprise Spaces/Incubation/Food-Hubs/Co-Working

Call 1

Call 2