Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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93. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on her Department’s progress in implementing Action 128 of the Mid-Term Review of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 to develop initiatives to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities living in rural areas, including through remote working options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53855/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy, was launched in early 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages.

My Department operates a number of funding schemes that focus on projects supporting remote working through the development of digital hubs, including the development of Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) as long-term, digitally-enabled community assets.

In May 2021, I launched the Connected Hubs network together with the connectedhubs.ie platform. The Network includes a range of digital hubs catering for a wide variety of remote and co-working needs. The Connected Hubs platform offers a suite of booking, hub management and e-commerce applications to members of the Network. The Network also facilitates the sharing of innovation, experience and best practices across the community. These supports serve to maximise benefit to member hubs, hub clients, employers, local communities and the wider economy. To date, approximately 295 hubs have joined the Connected Hubs Network. It is expected that, in time, the network and the platform will include more than 400 facilities.

In March 2021, the National Disability Authority (NDA) published their assessment report for progress made on actions under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017 – 2021 for 2020. This report emphasises the importance of persons with disabilities being considered as part of any recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The National Connected Hubs network is a key part of our plans to make remote working a reality for thousands of people post COVID-19. To this end, disability access upgrades were explicitly included as one of the eligible criteria under my Department’s Connected Hubs Call in 2021 and 2022.

Between 2021 and 2022, I awarded approximately €14 million in funding to almost 200 projects via Connected Hubs funding, enabling successful applicants to add additional capacity to existing remote working infrastructure in digital hubs and BCPs throughout the country. This included, for example, an allocation of over €40,000 to The Impact Hub in the Crann Centre - a purpose designed, inclusive co-working hub in County Cork.

The development of a national hubs network is a key commitment in Our Rural Futureand I am committed to continuing my Department's support for the development of remote working hubs in recognition of the vital role that they can play in our post-COVID recovery. This will include the exploration of all opportunities for further development of the Connected Hubs Network, including the ongoing provision of funding for disability facilities.