Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Bill and welcome the Minister of State to the House. A number of Members have spoken about the genesis of the Bill. While it was unfortunate that it was necessitated by a Council directive, it is welcome that the Minister of State and Department have taken the initiative to introduce it and protect Irish authors. Members have spoken adequately about our extensive literary tradition, which dates back generations, and how it has allowed the Irish, a nation of scholars, to present themselves in overseas markets. It is important that this legislation be enacted to show that the State supports those who develop literary content.

In the modern age, the focus is not so much on books, magazines and papers as on the Internet. The Internet is ultimately no different to the paper used in books in that it is merely a mechanism for transmitting content. It is vital that we think more about content than the means by which it is transmitted because this allows us to focus on the individuals who create it. It is critical that we continue to recognise their input. With the advent of the Internet, we tend to forget the creativity, flair and artistic endeavour of authors. It is important that their entitlements and capacity to find gainful employment and receive adequate remuneration for their work be protected. This legislation achieves this and protects them against the loss of sales arising from the lending of their books in the public library system.

It is important to recognise the comprehensive work public libraries do through the county councils and it is fitting to recognise the role of the county librarian in this regard. The county librarian in County Clare, Noel Crowley, has done immense work to provide adequate funding to develop the library system throughout the county. I am sure the same applies in many other counties. Over the past four or five years in my constituency, there has been significant investment to ensure the library system is not confined solely to the county town and that outreach locations are adequately stocked with books and have Internet access. Efforts have been made to keep books in a modern and well-maintained location.

Very shortly a new library will open in Scarriff in the centre of east Clare. It will be part of a new local area office. The incorporation of libraries into local offices by local authorities represents good and careful use of public finances. It ensures the public will be more familiar with the work of their local authority in that, by utilising the library housed under the same roof, they might visit the local authority office more regularly.

The library service has perhaps been under-resourced for many years. The investment that is now being made is welcome and helps to put knowledge and culture at the centre of our learning experience. While this is being done, it is important that the Department recognises those who make libraries possible, namely the authors who continue to make information available. It is only right that we continue to ensure that necessary resources are made available.

Members have referred to the requirement for adequate finance to implement this legislation. While we recognise that the Minister of State has indicated the legislation will not be retrospective, I am sure authors have a view on this. It is welcome that a decision has been made to ensure they will be remunerated in the future. It is important to ensure the existence of adequate funding to compensate them, in a real way, for the potential losses that will result from customers borrowing their books from libraries rather than purchasing them.

I support the Minister wholeheartedly in his efforts to ensure the centrality of the author and hope the necessary funding will be put in place to ensure the continuation of the valuable experience we all remember from our first opportunity to attend a public library and borrow books that added to our learning experience. Perhaps it helped some more than others.

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