Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I support the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and Deputy Aird regarding the LIS. It is an important scheme and I commend the Minister on his proactivity in trying to get extra funding. It is important. Deputy Aird is right. It is even an issue in my constituency of Cork South-Central, which has a rural part. A considerable number of people are enquiring. Last week we did one because of the size of Cork.

I thank the Deputy for raising libraries and I thank the library section of the Department. We have a vast library programme. Under the physical capital investment we have ten libraries under development at the moment and an expansion of the mobile library service in my library provision. It is an important programme, and one we are anxious to continue supporting, particularly in opening libraries. I am glad Portlaoise is up and running and open. The libraries represent a flagship of what our section does in the Department because they allow access to people in the community. It is not just about the old-fashioned library. There is a myriad. I was in Deputy McGuinness's area in Waterford recently and the library in Waterford was phenomenal as an example of a hive of community activity from learning English, to leaving certificate study classes, women's groups, painting, books being used and childcare provision. It was a phenomenal morning in the library in Waterford, so I thank the Deputy for raising that.