Council's many ‘hot desk' e-centres are not well known

A €1M e-centre is to open in Dunmanway later this year with hot desk facilities for the public.

Supported through Enterprise Ireland, one third of the cost is from the County Council, another third from Enterprise Ireland and the final third from the community.

Meanwhile, councillors have called on the local authority to increase the promotion and advertisement of e-centres across the county, following the closure of the E-centre in Millstreet.

Cllr Melissa Mullane (SF) raised the motion at a meeting of Cork County Council this week, where she sought a written report on e-centres across the county and the Council’s input into them.

‘There seems to be very little advertising about them and we should be getting more footfall into them,’ said Cllr Mullane.

She said she was concerned that Millstreet closed and asked if it could be located elsewhere as she said there was an issue with the building which houses it as it’s privately owned.

The report by Sharon Corcoran, director of services showed that at the Bantry e-centre, two out of the six hot desks are occupied, while in Macroom all six hot desks are occupied. Bandon has six hot desks, with two occupied, while Mizen has five, but only one is occupied. 

The report also showed that two hot desks operate on Bere Island and that Dunmanway is set to open its own hot desk facilities this year.

Cllr Frank O’Flynn (FF) said Cork County Council should be more proactive in advertising e-centres and suggested a roadshow could perhaps work to let the public know about them.

Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG) said the Ludgate centre model in Skibbereen works really well and that people can come in and use hot desks at the centre.

Cllr Eoghan Jeffers (SF) said it was quite clear some areas work, but that others haven’t reached their potential.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey admitted that ‘Millstreet did get significant support’ but that ‘the issue was to get the numbers of attendees in the locality.’

Regarding the call for further advertising of these E-centres Mr Lucey said that every client that comes in will be told about it and said that by right every town should have these facilities.