Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 September 2025
42. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the plans in place to create more opportunities in order that persons can work closer to home in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50677/25]
View answerBalanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for my Department and for the Government. I appreciate the important role of enterprise centres and remote working hubs throughout the country. They enable people to live and work in their local communities and provide a range of services to support companies and entrepreneurs to establish and grow their businesses. The Government has invested significantly in the development of these facilities, and we remain committed to further support for the sector.
Through programmes such as Connected Hubs and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, and working in partnership with local authorities and communities, substantial funding has been provided through the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to support remote working hubs. A significant number of the funded projects are making use of buildings that had previously been vacant or derelict.
Our Rural Future committed to the establishment of a network of 400 remote working hubs across the country over the lifetime of the policy. ConnectedHubs.ie, the online booking and payments platform for remote working spaces, was launched in mid-2021. As of 1 September 2025 there are 393 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform, including seven in County Meath. Details of all the onboarded hubs are available on ConnectedHubs.ie.
In close cooperation with my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht is leading on development of the first Strategy for the National Hub Network. The Strategy, to be published this year, will present a coherent and whole-of-government approach to the future development of remote working and enterprise hubs through the National Hub Network.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has focused specifically on supporting enterprise hubs and centres, as distinct from co-working hubs. These provide enterprise development activities rather than a remote working focus. Since 2017, my Department has allocated more than €150 million to support regional enterprise development initiatives, including many enterprise centres and hubs, across the country through Enterprise Ireland schemes, such as the Regional and the Border Enterprise Development Funds. The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund and administered by Enterprise Ireland, is currently open for applications.
While they are independent, the Government also will continue to work with the local authorities to deliver projects that support regional development. The local authorities have supported many of the enterprise hubs delivered to date, as project partners or through direct funding contributions.
Investment in Ireland’s hub infrastructure reflects the Government's broader commitment to creating more opportunities for people to work closer home. My Department oversaw development and successful implementation of all 15 actions outlined in the 2021 National Remote Work Strategy, and legislated for the right of all workers to request the right to work remotely through the Work Life Balance Act and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, re-affirms this commitment to promoting flexible and remote working arrangements that benefit both workers and employers, bringing access to good quality jobs close to home for people in communities throughout Ireland, including in County Meath.
