Digital Hub comes under Dublin City Council authority
DHDA handover to be completed by year-end
TechTrade | 01 Nov 2012 :
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte announced that The Digital Hub will transition into Dublin City Council (DCC) as part of the Government programme to rationalise State Agencies. The announcement follows the November 2011 report on public sector reform, in which the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) - the state agency that manages The Digital Hub - was earmarked for merger.
Minister Rabbitte said: "Dublin City Council is keen to develop Dublin as a hub for digital and green enterprises. It also has considerable experience in the management and development of property and in urban regeneration. This makes the Council particularly well placed to oversee the continued management of the Digital Hub Development Agency."
The Minister added that his Department will continue to actively engage with Dublin City Council and the digital project, having regard to the national imperative of supporting digital enterprises. "Throughout the recession, the DHDA has continued to support new indigenous digital enterprises. The presence of a strong cluster of these enterprises in Dublin complements the presence of large ICT and digital content multinationals in Ireland and puts Ireland firmly on the map as a digital economy."
The Minister said there will be a transition period over the next number of months, during which the governance model for the Digital Hub project will be fully defined and agreed by the end of the year.
"The plan will address detailed operational issues and identify opportunities to draw on the skills and capabilities that exist within both the City Council and the Digital Hub. Importantly, the plan will set out how the Hub will continue to operate effectively and assist the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in the development of national digital policy," the Minister said.
To date, over 170 digital enterprises and over 2,000 jobs have been supported. The project also has a significant community development remit: based in the Liberties in Dublin's south-west inner city, it has focused on regenerating the physical environment on its nine-acre campus and promoting community learning activities, in addition to its enterprise development work, which is specifically focused on the digital media and Internet sector.
Philip Flynn, CEO of the DHDA, said: "Since 2009, the Digital Hub Development Agency has been in discussion with officials in DCENR - our parent Department - in relation to the future of the project. We welcome today's announcement which provides certainty about the future direction of the Digital Hub."
TechCentral Reporters