Extra 86 digital hubs planned in Munster for 'Our Rural Future' plan
Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys said the network of remote working hubs is expected to play a vital role in the post-Covid recovery. The minister (right) is shown through the print studio in Creative Spark, Dundalk, by Sarah Daly (left), executive director of Creative Spark, a centre for creativity and innovation, in Dundalk, Co. Louth. Picture: Julien Behal
Munster is to get 86 more connected Digital Hubs, as the Government adds remote working facilities, as part of the "Our Rural Future" programme.
Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys said the network of remote working hubs is expected to play a vital role in the post-Covid recovery.
"The connectedhubs.ie team have for some time been developing a corporate service to engage with and support corporate clients interested in using our nationwide network to accommodate their employees, but also to gain access to the vast pool of talent that Ireland has to offer, whether those talented people live in our cities, towns, villages, or rural parishes," said Minister Humphreys.
The network aims to be a one-stop-shop to simplify and standardise the sourcing and booking of spaces, desks, offices and events in hubs for a day, a week, a month, a year, or longer and currently comprises 236 remote and co-working facilities.
However, the Government aims to eventually include more than 400 facilities. Initially, 113 new locations have been mapped to be invited to join the platform.
In Munster, Co. Clare has eight locations live on the platform, with 14 more to be invited to join. Meanwhile, Co. Cork has 23, with 17 invited, while Co. Kerry has 17, with 11 invited, and Co. Limerick has 12 with 12 more to be invited to join.
In Co. Tipperary, 19 locations are invited to join the existing nine, and 13 are invited to join the existing five in Co. Waterford. This diverse range of hubs, services and facilities provides remote working for companies of different sizes.
For example, the Impact Hub at Crann, situated on the outskirts of Ballincollig, serves an urban and rural hinterland.
In a recent survey, 30% of respondents said they would change jobs and even take a pay cut if remote working were an option. The survey was funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Western Development Commission and conducted by NUI Galway.
Minister Humphreys said: "People are looking at their options and taking into consideration such factors as quality of life and reduced commuting times."
She said her department continues to invest heavily in remote work hub facilities through various funding streams and initiatives, including via the development of Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) as long-term, digitally-enabled community assets.
This year, her officials will draft a development strategy for the Public BCP Network. The usage of BCPs is regularly monitored and continues to increase from month to month as more sites are connected and the awareness of the network grows.
