Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has said she is confident the target of having 400 remote working hubs around the country will be met before the 2025 target date.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast in advance of the announcement of new initiatives to support remote working across the country, the Minister said the aim was to increase capacity in such hubs and to make working from them more comfortable.
At present, there are 200 remote working hubs, an increase from 60 last May.
Speaking of the 400 hub target, Ms Humphreys said: “I am confident we will meet that target sooner.”
The cost of a ‘hot desk’ at hubs varies around the country, she acknowledged, with the price depending on the needs of the clients and hub owners setting their own charges.
The average cost was €10-20 per day, the Minister said, but some charged up to €30-35.
However, she said owners charging high prices may find they were not getting business, adding: “If they are too expensive, people are not going to use them.”
Ms Humphreys said the Government wanted to be able to give people the choice to work remotely, or to have a blended work style. This would lead to a better quality of life, she added.
When asked about grants to convert home space into an office, Ms Humphreys said there had been a tax incentive in the last budget, but added that working from home might not be a perfect situation as there needs to be a demarcation between work and personal life.
She said this was one of the reasons why the remote working hubs were perfect and provided a good alternative.
