€5M for remote working through Connected Hubs

A number of new initiatives to support Remote Working across the country have been announced.

For the first time, workers will now be able to book office or desk space in their local hub through a new mobile app called Connected Hubs.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has also announced €5 million in funding, through the Connected Hubs 2022 Call, which will be used to build capacity and enhance existing Remote Working facilities.

These initiatives will be underpinned by a new national awareness campaign, designed to promote the many benefits of choosing your local hub for your working day. The campaign will be run by the Department of Rural and Community Development with the support of the Western Development Commission (WDC).

Minister Humphreys also revealed today that the number of remote working facilities on the Connected Hubs Network will exceed 200 this week. This represents over half of the 400 hubs pledged as part of 'Our Rural Future', the Government’s rural development policy.

Announcing the series of initiatives at the Mill Enterprise Centre in Drogheda, Co Louth, Minister Humphreys said:

“If COVID-19 has taught us one thing – it’s that the benefits of remote working are huge: Less time spent commuting. A lower carbon footprint. More time spent with family and friends. But above all – a better quality of life."

Over the past two years, the Department has invested €100million in the development of remote working facilities in towns and villages nationwide.

“Across Ireland, we have taken many old and derelict buildings and re-purposed them into state-of-the-art remote working facilities.

“Former banks, cinemas, garda stations, convents and train stations have become local digital hubs," said Minister Humphreys.

She added: “Today represents the next chapter in our Remote Working journey... I’m really pleased to launch the new Connected Hubs mobile app which will enable workers to book their desk space in their local hub with ease.

The Minister promised further funding announcements for the development of new remote working facilities as part of Our Rural Future.

“Thankfully we are now beginning to return to normal life, but that does not mean we should go back to the old normal – the days of the long commute, sitting in traffic when you could be spending that time with your family and friends.

“Equally not everybody wants to or has the space to work from home permanently. The kitchen table or your bedroom is not a permanent solution. If you want a clear line of where work-life ends and family-life begins – then working from your local hub is the solution for you," said Minister Humphreys.

She's encouraging employers and businesses to look at the facilities available through Connected Hubs when developing their future plans for blended or hybrid working.