Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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101. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for an update on his work to support remote working on the offshore islands. [38072/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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 387 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform, including four on offshore islands. Details of all the onboarded hubs are available on www.connectedhubs.ie.

The platform provides hub owners and customers with a central, easy to use portal that offers and enables the booking of a range of services, particularly professional remote working spaces and meeting rooms. The platform is managed by the Western Development Commission in conjunction with my Department. Also included are hubs on the gteic hub network established by Údarás na Gaeltachta, serving island communities by providing digital work spaces in the Gaeltacht, and including hubs on Inis Meáin and Arranmore.

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, €231,380 was allocated on islands from this fund, with €37,506 allocated under the 2022 call. Connected Hubs and Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) were eligible to apply under these calls.

BCPs, an initiative of the National Broadband Plan, are publicly accessible locations that provide high-speed broadband connectivity free of charge for local communities. Located in rural and remote areas, there are 300 sites in all 26 counties including 11 on off-shore islands.

A first National Hubs Strategy, to be completed later this year, will present a coherent and whole-of-government approach to the future development of hubs, including those on the islands. The strategy is being developed in consultation with hub managers, local authorities, communities and other stakeholders.

This Government’s commitment to remote working is set out in our National Remote Working Strategy – Making Remote Work. This policy was published by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2021, and seeks to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits.

I am committed to ensuring that the Connected Hubs initiative will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, including the islands, as set out in Our Living Islands - the National Islands Policy, Our Rural Future and the Programme for Government.