Over €772,000 has been announced for remote working facilities across the Northern Sound region.
The funding will go towards a number of Digital Hubs and Broadband Connection Points under the Connected Hubs Initiative.
Announcing the funding this morning, Minister Heather Humphreys said it will enhance these hub facilities to the benefit of communities across the region.
Monaghan is receiving the most locally at just under €355,000 (€354,925) which will go towards 13 BCPs, Castleblayney Enterprise Centre, The Station House and Scotstown Business Centre.
€236,000 (€236,016) is to go towards projects in Cavan, including the Digital Hub and the 10 BCPs in the county.
Another €182,000 (€181,192) is to be shared between Cavan, Monaghan and Louth for five hubs across the counties.
Full breakdown of works planned at BCPs
CAVAN (€225,000)
- Bunnoe (€17500)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
- Templeport: (€24500)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- PV solar panels (€5000)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
- Kildallan (€25000)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Heating/insulation (€7500)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- Drummaddy (€32000)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Heating/insulation (€7500)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- PV solar panels (€5000)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
- Gallonray (€20000)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- PV solar panels (€5000)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- Accessible Carpark spaces (€4500)
- Cornafean (€29500)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Office Funiture (€1500)
- ICT equipment (€3500)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- PV solar panels (€5000)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
- Mullahoran (€23000)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- ICT equipment (€3500)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
- Castlerahan (€22000)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- PV solar panels (€5000)
- Accessible entrance (€4500)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
- Killenkere (€24500)
- Upgrade existing switches and add access points (€3000)
- Access Control System (€2000)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- PV solar panels (€5000)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
- Swanlinbar (€19500)
- privacy booths (€3500 x 2)
- IOT equipment (€2500)
- Office Funiture (€1500)
- ICT equipment (€3500)
- Electric Car Charging Point (€3000)
- Promotion & marketing (€2000)
MONAGHAN (€150,902)
Not costed by ind. BCP
- Clara Community Centre
This is a newly nominated BCP which has only recently been surveyed. It is located in one of the most inaccessible areas of County Monaghan, within 2 kilometres of the border with Northern Ireland. Broadband access is very limited in the area and the creation of a BCP will be a very positive development for a very rural community. The local community group seeks to refurbish two small meeting rooms into usable spaces for members of the community to participate in remote working, remote teaching, 3rd level & evening study.
- Connons-Drumully Community Group
The area of Connons represents the closest thing Co. Monaghan has to an island community, with no direct road into the area without passing through Northern Ireland.
A digital hub would be of benefit to all ages and sectors across our community. We hope to build on learning and development through online courses and face to face learning within our Community Hall. We have a room in the Community Hall set aside for a digital hub and would require guidance and funding to develop this project.
The addition of a Door access system is needed to facilitate seamless entry into the community centre, and the purchase of essential IT equipment will accelerate the opportunity for people within the area to enhance their computer skills and understanding, including older citizens.
- Corduff- Raferagh Community Centre
This community group already has an IT suite in place and is trying to develop additional facilities throughout the community building, including the installation of additional Wifi Access points to facilitate the distribution of broadband throughout the community centre, including the integrated creche, the large community hall and additional meeting areas. The work includes Perspex screens, additional furniture, an additional switch.
- Corvally Hall
The addition of a Door access system to facilitate seamless entry into the community centre from a back door, and the insertion of additional electrical facilities and building management integration. The intention is to integrate heating and lighting systems in order to manage the building
- Carn Resource Centre
Install a hub with tablets and laptops for use by remote workers, school goers and to facilitate training in the room that has been developed.
This will also require the addition of 2 more wifi points in this area to allow for ubiquitous access
- Cremartin GAA Community Centre
This is a newly nominated BCP which has only recently been surveyed. It is located in an area which is only likely to receive broadband under the NBP towards the end of the project (2026 or later). The broadband will be installed under the BCP programme. The plan for the centre includes the renovation of a large upstairs meeting room which can be successfully split into remote working/ study PODs using portable partitions or a larger open meeting space. In order to do this, the ceiling needs to be lowered, new energy efficient lighting installed, additional air conditioning and electrical sockets installed.
- Drumhowan Community Group
One of the community centres within Co Monaghan with highest levels of traffic since it opened, the community group has met and prioritised the installation of a Door access system to facilitate seamless entry into the community centre-removing the need to have specific human intervention to access the facilities, and the purchase of 5 Age friendly Acorn tablets to introduce older citizens to technology. This will complement the existing equipment already in use within the BCP.
- Latton GAA Centre
Recently added as a BCP, this centre has a meeting room which they hope to develop as a student training and education space. The key requirements are laptops and video conference equipment which they can use to develop a room for 2nd & 3rd level students as well as remote workers from across the area.
- Latton Resource Centre
The addition of a Door access system allow entry into the community centre from a side door and additional CCTV/ alarm integration. This would allow users to enter an existing computer room without any interaction with the creche facility which shares this building and safeguard all of those wishing to use these facilities.
- Mullyash Community Centre
The purchase of digital equipment is essential here to facilitate more opportunities for training and delivering digital experiences within the community. The aspiration is to develop an existing meeting room to make it a fully equipped, fit for purpose training room which meets all of the requirements necessary to protect everyone from Covid-19
- Pats Direct Provision Centre
This internet connectivity has only recently been finalised within St Pats BCP, in spite of the fact that there are nearly 300 people living in the complex. As part of the initial installation, eight wifi access points were installed but these only cover one part of the 11 acre campus.
Already the amount of usage coming from this BCP has outstripped all of the other BCPs within the county. The priority now for the centre is the extension of the existing wifi network to facilitate wifi access across a campus featuring 11 accommodation buildings, additional recreation rooms, training rooms, a shop and other facilities.
This is a very large project with almost 40 additional access points required. It is also the largest social inclusion and migrant integration project likely to occur within the county in this or any other year, and it is an opportunity to embrace those people living among us by offering everyone an opportunity to access digital technology. This project has the scope to make technology accessible to all ages within St Pats Centre. Only time will tell us what the product of this opportunity could be…
- Tannagh Outdoor Education & Recreation Centre
This centre caters for leaving certificate science and research projects including Young Scientists projects. The centre wishes to redevelop one of the largest training rooms by replacing older equipment with mobile, modern laptops. It would also benefit from the addition of additional wifi points and an enhanced switch to facilitate this upgrade.
- Tullycorbet Community Centre
Furnish, add Electrical and networking points required to convert a sizable meeting room into a community IT training room. Develop an existing meeting room to make it a fully equipped, fit for purpose training room which meets all of the requirements necessary to protect everyone from Covid-19. Add a two door access control system which would allow users to enter by entering a PIN code
