Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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89. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has met the management, board and the staff of an agency (details supplied) since he took the decision to abolish the agency, scrap its future plans and lay off the workers in the agency. [29387/21]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Following a strategic review, which concluded that the Digital Hub is no longer required to sustain the continued growth of Dublin's digital enterprise sector, the Government decided on 27 April that the Digital Hub Development Agency should be dissolved and its land and property assets transferred to the Land Development Agency. In the period between the completion of the strategic review and the Government decision, Minister Ryan met with the Chairperson of the DHDA Board and the Chief Executive. Officials from my Department have met with members of the Board and executive of the DHDA to discuss implementation of the Government decision.

I will shortly request the Board of the DHDA to prepare a programme for an orderly wind down, addressing the needs of the staff of the DHDA, client companies and communications with the local communities. My Department will work closely with the DHDA on the finalisation of the necessary steps including the re-deployment of its permanent staff within the public sector.

There will be no immediate effect on the DHDA's client companies and they will be in a position to continue trading as normal throughout the wind down period.

The Grant Thornton Strategic Review report concluded that the Irish digital enterprise sector and Dublin co-working office space market are robust and are not reliant upon the services provided by the DHDA.  It is therefore anticipated that the time afforded for the orderly wind down will permit the client companies to find alternative accommodation, noting the supply of co-working and office space available in Dublin.

The redevelopment of the sites will also support a significant level of employment in construction and support a major economic and social regeneration in Dublin 8.