Three Laois enterprise centres have been awarded funding to the tune of €202,640 from Enterprise Ireland.
Portlaoise Enterprise Centre is to receive €88,000 while its Portarlington sister is to get €67,840.
Vision 85, which operates in Portlaoise, is also set to receive €46,800.
Welcoming the announcement, Portlaoise Enterprise Centre coordinator Patricia Frayne said: “Remote working hubs are key to the new work triangle of Hub-Home-HQ as many people seek to ‘work near home’ rather than ‘work from home’.
“This funding will help us to continue to provide a first class service to our existing client base and to expand our offering to welcome new clients to our Centre.
“2020 has been a challenging one for all businesses and we look forward to continuing to support enterprise development by providing remote working facilities, small offices, industrial units and meeting & training facilities at Portlaoise Enterprise Centre.
“It is wonderful that the government recognises the importance of enterprise centres and remote working hubs and has put this funding in place to ensure we can continue to play a vital part in Ireland’s economic recovery.”
Also welcoming the news, Minister for State Sean Fleming said: “Some of these centres have seen a reduction in business activity as a result of COVID.
“These funds will help ensure that the centres can continue into the future and provide improved services especially due to the requirement for increased connectivity for people in the county which can be achieved in these enterprise centres.
“Also, this will help businesses who are located in these enterprise centres through allowing funding for the centres in which they operate to continue to support them in their provision of local services and employment.”
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