Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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256. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which her Department continues to support the use of digital hubs as a means of replicating the workplace without having to travel to and from work; the extent to which opportunities may arise in the future with particular reference to attract persons living in rural or isolated areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50300/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential which remote working presents for regional development. My Department operates a number of funding schemes that focus on projects supporting remote working and adding to remote working infrastructure throughout the country.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme both support the establishment of new digital hubs. Under this year's schemes, projects that bring vacant properties in town centres back into use as remote working hubs were eligible to apply for funding. Projects that repurpose existing community or publicly owned buildings in town or village centres to facilitate remote working were also eligible.

Earlier this year I also announced funding of €8.8 million in funding through the Connected Hubs stream to add capacity to existing remote working infrastructure in digital hubs and broadband connection points throughout the country.

Officials in my Department will continue to consider options to continue to support the development of remote working hubs over the coming years. Details of calls for applications to relevant funding streams will be announced by my Department in due course.

My Department also continues to support the development of the Connected Hubs Network (connectedhubs.ie). There are approximately 146 hubs using the platform, with this number growing every month. The National Hub Network Working Group (led by the Department of Rural and Community Development) has also identified and mapped some 400 further remote working hubs which will be invited to join the Connected Hubs Network to create shared infrastructure that will deliver real benefits, particularly for rural communities. A connected hubs app has also been developed which will be launched in the coming weeks.

It is anticipated that the following initiatives will be developed through the Network:

A shared Connected Hubs brand identity for all member hubs

A centralised Connected Hubs media and promotional campaign

Access to the ConnectedHubs.ie suite of booking, hub management and e-commerce applications.

Development of a peer-to-peer hub community

Sharing of innovation, experience and best practices within the community

Supporting collaborative projects in the Network to drive economies of scale

Developing a ‘shared voice’ for Hubs

Supporting collective engagement between Connected Hubs and large scale employers

Helping to identify the benefits Connected Hubs deliver for their local communities and the wider economy

Developing a dataset to inform future investment decisions in remote working facilities