James Cox
Hybrid workers will be offered free days at a series of remote working hubs across the country.
It is part of a series of new initiatives to be unveiled by Government today to incentivise people to ditch the office and work in their communities instead.
It will see workers given vouchers for three days use of remote working hubs. The three days will be offered between now and the end of August.
Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys is also set to announce a €5 million fund aimed at building and enhancing 81 remote working hubs across the country.
Ms Humphreys will also announce €50,000 in funding to each local authority in the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
This money will be used to fund marketing campaigns and promote remote working opportunities.
At present, there are 242 remote working facilities across the country.
Remote working has been a game-changer for thousands of people.
Ms Humphreys said she is committed to ensuring “we don’t simply revert to the ‘old normal’ – the way of life we had before Covid-19″.
“When I meet remote workers across the country, they tell me all about the benefits of spending a few days each week working from a digital hub in their local community,” she said.
“They talk about how their lives are improved now that they don’t have to embark on that early morning, gruelling commute to Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway or other urban centres.
”Remote working has been a game-changer for thousands of people. It’s given people of all ages a better quality of life – allowing them to spend more time with their family friends, working within their local town or village.”
Independent TD Denis Naughten said the move is a welcome one.
Mr Naughten said: "I think anything that can see the maximum use of these new connected hubs around the country is very positive, and I think there is an opportunity there for employers, particularly employers based in urban centres where there's pressure on office accommodation, to look and facilitate staff moving to some of these remote working hubs."
