Mullingar E-Working Centre to receive €75,000 under Connected Hubs Scheme
Mullingar E-Working Centre to receive €75,000 under Connected Hubs Scheme
The Mullingar E-Working Centre is to receive €75,000 of an €8.8 million in funding under the Connected Hubs Scheme, it has been announced this morning. Athlone Community Development Association Westmeath has been allocated €64,215.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, TD, announced the funding, saying it will enable existing hubs and broadband connection points to enhance and add capacity to remote working infrastructure in every region across Ireland.
Grants will also fund measures to assist hubs to deal with Covid-related challenges.
The funding will benefit 117 projects, including the expansion of existing hubs, installation of privacy booths, access control and security systems, the conversion of existing open plan space to modular offices, and provision of enhanced audio visual, networking and conferencing facilities.
This investment will support the ongoing development of the recently launched National Hub Network - connectedhubs.ie - which already has more than 100 hubs using the platform and 380 hubs mapped.
Minister of State Robert Troy has welcomed the announcement: “I am thrilled to see these local projects receive funding under the connected hubs scheme today. The funding will enable existing hubs and broadband connection points to enhance and add capacity to remote working infrastructure in every region across Ireland.
“During the last 16 months we have come to appreciate how important it is to have access to remote working settings for employees from every sector and we have also learned that many of our daily work tasks can indeed be carried out remotely. It is therefore imperative that we continue to grow our remote working network substantially in the years ahead and todays announcement is a very welcome first step.”
Local projects
The Mullingar E-Working Centre Hub is currently only in operation during county council building opening hours. Pre-Covid, the centre offered 14 hotdesks to businesses. This project will include the expansion of remote working facilities, access control, privacy booths, IT network upgrades and the installation of a meeting room which is currently not offered. €75,000
Athlone Community Development Association Project’s main aim is to carry out renovations and improvements to their existing occupied and vacant units in order to provide more workspace and hot desks. Works include repairs to the roof, insulation, painting and decorating and the creation of new work spaces.
Also included in the funding:
• €2.8m to develop remote working infrastructure in the Eastern and Midland region
• €3m to develop remote working infrastructure in the North-West region
• €3m to develop remote working infrastructure in the Southern region.
Announcing the successful projects in Carlow today, Minister Humphreys said: “Our Rural Future recognises hubs as ideal locations for people to work remotely, as well as acting as key economic assets for towns and villages.
“The increased shift to remote working as a result of the pandemic has provided a golden opportunity for a greater regional distribution of jobs to support a better work life balance for many people.
“This opportunity is reflected in Our Rural Future and in policy initiatives across the whole of Government, such as Making Remote Work, the National Remote Working strategy.
“The investment announced today will provide an increased number of families and individuals with the option to live and work in our rural communities. Remote working from hubs and Broadband Connection Points benefitting from this funding will also support local economies and assist in reducing our carbon emissions.
“I am particularly delighted that the projects approved today will support the ongoing development of the National Hub Network, which I launched recently. With almost 400 remote working hubs already identified and mapped on connectedhubs.ie, this network will continue to grow and develop over the coming months and years and I would urge all existing and new hubs to become members and take advantage of the ongoing supports which the Network will provide.”
Full details of the 117 projects approved for funding by the Minister under the Connected Hubs Scheme are available on https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/64df6-connected-hubs-fund/
ConnectedHubs.ie is a part of the Our Rural Future initiative by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The project is being delivered by the Western Development Commission.