Date: 22 July 2021
Green Party TD, Steven Matthews has welcomed the €132,000 funding announced for Wicklow under the 2021 Connected Hubs Scheme. These grants are targeted at pre-existing remote working hubs to assist them modernise their facilities and includes a wide arrange of works including the installation of video conferencing, sound proofing, fire safety improvements amongst other positive improvements to further incentivise the use of these hubs. Grants will also fund measures to assist hubs with COVID related challenges. Discussing the funding announcement, Deputy Matthews said:
“This latest round of funding being awarded to three digital hubs in Wicklow makes up part of a key commitment in the Programme for Government in relation to increasing the provision and accessibility of remote working – digital hubs.
Wicklow Office Suites, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow - €22,500.00
Wicklow Hub, Newtown Business Park, Newtown Mount Kennedy - €75,000.00
Arklow Business Enterprise Centre CLG, Kilbride Industrial Estate, Arklow - €35,100.00
“The funding will enable these existing hubs to enhance and add capacity to remote working infrastructure that will encourage more people to access these facilities and to consider them as a genuine alternative workspace. I hope that one of the primary lessons that we have learned from the pandemic is that the old work model is completely outdated. Everybody does not need to work the 9-5 day, sitting in traffic for hours on end to go into a city/ large town-based office. “Covid-19 forced us to rethink how we work and has sped up the move towards remote working and digital hubs much faster than any of us could have imagined.
“The increased shift to remote working because of the pandemic has provided an opportunity for a greater regional distribution of jobs to support a better work life balance for many people. I hope that the investment in these three Wicklow hubs will provide an increased number of families and individuals with the option to live and work in our rural communities. The knock-on benefits of this type of investment and work practice shift will also support local economies and assist in reducing our carbon emissions.”
“This round of funding makes up only one aspect of the Government’s wider National Remote Working strategy and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we fulfil all our commitments in improving remote working options for communities across Wicklow, concluded Deputy Matthews.
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