Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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649. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the connected hubs scheme for County Wicklow in 2022, 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [39703/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Our Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by the end of 2025. There are currently 367 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform, including 8 in Co. Wicklow. Details of all the onboarded hubs are available on .

My Department has invested significantly in the establishment and development of hubs through the range of schemes which make up my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. This includes funding the development of new hubs under schemes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

In 2021 and 2022 I implemented a new targeted scheme to support the development of facilities in hubs across Ireland. Almost €14 million in funding to some 200 projects was allocated via these 'Connected Hub Calls'. In 2021 €132,600 was allocated in Wicklow from this fund, with €71,545 allocated under the 2022 call. The types of facilities developed under this Fund included the provision of additional desk space, privacy booths, technical equipment, meeting facilities and access control.

I am committed to ensuring that the Connected Hubs Network will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, as set out in Our Rural Future.