Clare allocated €144k for remote working hubs

OVER €144,000 has been allocated by the Department of Rural and Community Development for the provision of five remote working hubs in Clare.

The funding will provide new modular work spaces and privacy pods along with closed circuit television monitoring, lighting for external hub area, solar panels, internal LED lighting, electrical vehicle charger and bicycle racks.

A further €50,000 will be made available to Clare County Council under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to fund marketing campaigns and promote remote working opportunities around the county.

“Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys made the announcement this week.

Welcoming the allocation, Deputy Joe Carey said, “As former Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development, I have been a long-time advocate of  remote working and the provision of connected hubs outside the major population centres.

“Even before the transformative experience of the Covid lockdowns, the benefits of remote working were obvious in terms of rural regeneration, environmental impact and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

“A significant feature of the latest round of funding is the fact that hot desk facilities will be provided free of charge to existing hub users and those using the facilities for the first time.

“This should appeal to those who have never worked from their local hub – now they can try it out for the first time for free. This scheme is based on the ‘voucher follows the person’ approach and will initially provide three days of hub use per person between now and the end of August.

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe also welcomed the allocation saying, “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, how we work and how business operates has undergone a major shift.

“More and more companies now are looking at hybrid or blended work or, in some cases, fully remote.

“It’s a very positive change in how we work, particularly for a county like Clare which is rural based, as it means people who heretofore were confined to the country’s cities for professional development can actually look to coming back to their rural towns and villages to live and work.

“Clare County Council has been very proactive in creating its network of DigiHubs, which I’ve used myself in Miltown Malbay and Feakle. This injection of close to €145,000 in funding is going to help to bolster the current offering.

“Minister Humphreys is also launching the Connected Hubs Voucher Scheme – which will give remote workers free use of their local digital hub.

“At least 10,000 hot desk spaces will be provided under the scheme, which is aimed at both existing hub users, as well as those accessing hub facilities for the first time.

“I look forward to seeing the developments that are to come in terms of remote working in Clare and look forward to making use of the facilities around the county as I travel and work.”

“This investment will expand and upgrade the existing offering by providing increased capacity and improving the range of services available. The strategic location of the hubs throughout the county will provide a wide range of services for the wider community.”